Renewed Sunrise
by alicewithpinkhair
Summary: The Cullens have returned to Forks, Washington after travelling the world. What happens when Renesmee attends high school for the first time with her family? Will the Cullens be exposed once Nessie befriends a human who seems to know too much about them?
1. Chapter 1

**AN: This is my first Fanfic, so please let me know what you think! Also, obviously, I do not own the copyrights to anything Twilight-ish. Thanks!**

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Chapter 1

**RenesmeePOV**

"Do I really have to go to high school? Can't I be "home schooled"? Please!" I whined for the fifteenth time this morning. I was so not looking forward to not only having to be careful of how I act and move for a full seven hours five times a week, but also being under the constant watch of my parents for those seven hours as well.

"Yes, you have to go, Nessie. Home schooling would only make people ask questions, especially if you were the only one who was being homeschooled. Plus, high school is fun and interesting. You need a new learning experience."

_Right, _I thought, _like living on three different continents in fifty years isn't enough of a learning experience._

Edward, my dad, just gave me that look that all parents, regardless of whether or not they have been around since the early 1900's, seem to master during parenthood. "Nessie, your mother is quite right. High school is necessary and important for you to attend. Part of being a Cullen is…"

"…Playing the right part!" Everyone chimed in at the same time. After a brief glance around the room, all seven of us Cullen "children" burst out in laughter.

"Edward, give her a break. After all, this is her first time going to school. She's bound to be a bit nervous." Aunt Alice said as she glanced sideways at her husband, Jasper. "Jazz? Do you think you could help her out a bit?"

"She's not nervous, Alice. She's…well… annoyed." Uncle Jasper said as he grinned sheepishly in my direction. _Sorry_ he mouthed to me.

"Really, you guys. I'm not nervous, or worried, or anxious! I just loathe the idea of spending the whole day listening to the mediocre lives of humans when I already know everything they teach us and more." I rolled my eyes and turned to leave the living room.

"She is so much like you." Mom mumbled to Dad as I stomped out of the room.

"Where's Nessie going? What did you say this time, Jazz?" Emmett, my humorous and very goofy uncle asked with his dimpled grin spread across his face.

"Me? I didn't say anything. I never say anything!"

"Sure" He said as he rolled his honey-colored eyes. "And I dress up in Rose's clothes and prance around singing "I Feel Pretty" from _West Side Story_."

"Ummm… Emmett?"

"Yes, Rosie baby?"

"You did that yesterday… twice."

"Oh, yeah. I forgot."

"And three times last week" Dad chimed in.

"And, you tried to do it two weeks ago with Alice's clothes, but she caught you when you shredded her new Versace halter." Mom reminded him.

My family is weird.

"I'm getting in the car now! If we're going, can we leave _now_ before I change my mind?" I yelled, growing very impatient with each passing second. Suddenly, a wave of calm hit me and I became less tense as Uncle Jasper entered the garage.

"Oh Renesmee" Aunt Rose said. "It's going to be just fine. Look on the bright side… you look fabulous today!"

"Thanks, Aunt Rose. Whoops… I mean Rosalie." I giggled as I slid into the backseat of Dad's Volvo. I was going to enjoy getting to call everyone by their real names, especially Dad (I mean Edward), and Bella (I mean Mom). We pulled out of the garage with Carlisle and Esme waving from the front steps and were on the highway within a few seconds. I sighed softly and began to prepare myself mentally for the start of a very interesting year as a sophomore at Forks High School in Forks, Washington. _Well_, I thought,_ this should be loads of fun_.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**EPOV**

Nessie was moping in the back seat again. I felt bad that we were forcing her to do something she clearly was not looking forward to, although I figured being separated from that dog, Jacob, for an extended period of time had something to do with her reluctance to attend school.

_I wonder what Jake's up to right now._ I heard her think. _What's he gonna do all day while we're gone? He's gonna be so lonely._

My poor daughter.

"He'll be fine, Nessie. He's gone back to La Push to visit with the pack that's there now. He'll be waiting for us when we get home today." I said, trying to ease some of the guilt she was feeling at having to leave him alone all day. She knew, as well as everyone else, how easily Jacob got bored.

_Stop listening to my thoughts, Dad. Whoops! I mean__** Edward**__._ She said with that adorable little smile that always reminded me of her beautiful mother, who was sitting next to me and holding my hand in hers.

"Remember" I said as we pulled into the student parking lot of the high school where everything important in my life had begun more than thirty years ago. "Rosalie and Jasper are the Hales, while Nessie, myself, and Emmett are the Cullens. Bella, love, you and Alice are the Whitlocks."

"Yes!" Bella exclaimed "I'm sisters with Alice!"

"Umm… Bella? You've been Alice's sister for awhile now" I reminded her.

"Yes, I know that" She retorted, adorable as always. "I was just celebrating in the fact that I don't have to be "legally" related to Emmett again. That didn't go too well the last time we tried that, remember?"

"Oh yeah. Right". I had beat Emmett up a lot during those years.

_Dad?_ Renesmee thought as we stepped out of the car. _Is everyone going to stare like this all the time?_

"Just don't think about it. It'll calm down in a few days." I said reassuringly to her as the rest of the family convened around our cars.

"I'll be right back." Alice chirped as she walked off to retrieve our class schedules and such from the front office.

_Dang! They look like supermodels, especially that tall blonde with the great…_

_Holy cow! When did the sexy man expo come to town?_

_I wonder who they are? I mean… they're hot!_

_Are they movie stars? They look like movie stars, except for that big bulky guy. He looks like he's on steroids._

I chuckled softly so that only my family could hear me.

"What's so funny, brother?" Emmett asked as he glanced around the parking lot.

"Nothing, Em, except that someone thinks you need drug rehab for steroids" I grinned at him as Alice danced, literally, back to our group.

"Okay" She said "We sort of got our way. Here…" She passed out everyone's schedule and quickly compared her schedule with Jasper's.

"Dad?" Renesmee whispered. "What do you have first period?"

I looked at her schedule and gave her a reassuring smile. "We have first, third, lunch, and seventh together. You have second, fourth, lunch, and sixth with your mother."

_Oh goodie!_ Nessie thought happily as she snatched her schedule out of my hand and turned to compare it with Alice's.

"Renesmee!" I quietly scolded. "You can't be so quick with your movements! You have to be slower!"

She placed her warm hand on my face. _Sorry, Dad. I just got excited. You can ask Uncle Jasper._

I chuckled as I grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze. "I know, dear. You just always have to be aware of how you move."

"Stop badgering her, Edward. She'll be fine" Bella said with a smile towards our daughter.

"Okaaaayy! Everyone's one big happy vampire family. Can we go now? Pleeease!" Emmett whined as he began to pull Rosalie towards the school buildings. He always loved the first day of school because that was when he could begin planning his many pranks and practical jokes on the poor and unsuspecting human population.

_Help me!_ Thought Rosalie as Emmett continued to drag her towards their first class. I simply laughed at the hilarity that was my brother and grabbed Renesmee's hand. "Ready for your first day of school, little vampire?" I asked her with a big grin.

"Sure, _bro!" _She said with a giggle. She turned and gave Bella a quick kiss on the cheek and told her she loved her. We walked off towards English hand in hand.

**BPOV**

Sitting through history class with Jasper and Alice is a very interesting experience. Throughout the entire class period, I could hear Jasper muttering under his breath and Alice scribbling on pieces of paper, probably designing Rose's newest wardrobe. _Hopefully it's not my new wardrobe_, I thought.

"Seriously? That's all you have to say about the south during the Civil War? That they lost? You know of nothing that happened." Jasper growled in a quiet voice. Alice simply placed her hand on her husband's arm and gave it a loving but firm squeeze. It made me miss Edward.

"Bella?" Alice whispered to me. "Do you like blue or teal better?"

"Alice, are you designing new clothes for me yet again?" I asked, mentally exhausted already at the thought of new clothes and shopping.

"I'm offended, Bella. You are my sister, and I refuse to let any Whitlock dress in anything less than the absolute best. OH! That rhymed!"

I just rolled my eyes and smiled as I continued to stare at the ceiling just above the teacher's head at the front of the class. I could see every crack and crevice above the whiteboard in the plaster on the bland walls.

Suddenly, I felt very energetic and attentive. I glared over at Jasper, who shrugged his shoulders at me and turned back towards the teacher. _Stupid emotion-manipulating vampire! _I thought. The bell then rang, dismissing first period classes. I gathered my books and papers as quickly as I could at human speed and hurried out of class. There, waiting for me like the fairy-tale prince he was, was Edward. Next to him stood Renesmee, our beautiful half-vampire daughter with a look of sheer boredom on her face. She smiled a huge grin when she saw me emerge from the classroom.

"Ma… I mean Bella!" She said as she held out her arms for a hug.

"Hello, little sis." I said as I embraced my unique little girl. "And hello to you too, my love". Edward and I briefly but passionately kissed in true happiness at being reunited. It was always so difficult to be separated from him, even if the amount of time was short.

"What did Jazz do that made you call him stupid, my Bella?" He asked with that half-smile that always seemed to stop my heart, even though it doesn't actually beat anymore.

"He made me enjoy history class… again" I said with a pout. Edward simply laughed as he hugged me.

"Okay, you two. You're making Nessie sick and you're going to be late for class" Jasper informed us as we began to separate.

"Come on, Nessie" I said as I grabbed her hand. "Let's go re-learn French for the fiftieth time."

"Bella! It's only the forty-ninth time for me." She reminded me with a giggle and a wave goodbye to the rest of our family.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**RenesmeePOV**

So… School wasn't too bad. I wasn't bothered too much by the smell of humans surrounding me all day long, which was a huge relief. Gym was fun, but that was because Uncle Em made fun of Mom every time she missed the volleyball. One time, towards the end when Uncle Em's back was turned, Mom threw the ball at him with a lot more force than a human could manage. It was really funny.

"Emmett. I swear it wasn't me that threw it at you. It must have been that one kid with the black hair. What was his name again? Rick?" Mom said with a straight face. Dad had once told me that he had to give her lessons on how to put on a "poker face".

"Sure, little sister. I'll believe that the day you see me wearing a pink tutu and wrestling with Alice while blindfolded." Uncle Emmett responded with sarcasm.

"Umm, Emmett?!" Aunt Alice called from her room upstairs. "We did that last weekend, and you lost!"

"Dang it!" Uncle Em yelled as he stamped his way out the back door towards the river. Aunt Rose just rolled her eyes and walked after him.

"So, Nessie?" Jake asked as he tightened his arms that were wound around my waist. "How was your first day of high school? Anything interesting happen?"

"Well…" I began but Dad cut me off.

"Remember, Renesmee" He warned me. "I control your allowance as well as your ability to leave this house unsupervised."

"Whoa!" Jake exclaimed. "Now I wish _I_ could read minds. What happened?"

I pressed my hand against Jake's cheek and showed him everything about today.

"Hahaha!" He laughed and let me go so that he didn't crush me as he rolled around on the floor. "You actually had teachers blatantly hit on you?!" He asked Dad. "That's so gross!"

"Nessie! You are sooo grounded!" Dad yelled from the other room.

_That's not fair, Dad!_ I mentally shouted to him.

"Edward, don't do that." Mom said, sticking up for me. I really owe her a lot.

"Fine, but she will _not_ repeat those events to Carlisle, Esme, or anyone else." He ordered.

"That's okay!" Uncle Emmett yelled, reappearing in the door that connected to the garage. "I'll be glad to tell the whole world!" Poor Uncle Em. He never saw Dad launch at him.

"So, Nessie. Besides being disgusted at how many people flirted with your Dad today, how was it?" Jake requested as he pulled me back into his arms on the couch.

"It was good, I guess. A lot more interesting and easier than I thought it would be" I explained as I ran one hand through the shaggy hair that hung down in front of his face. "I really missed you, though. It would have been ten, no, one thousand times better if you had been there." I told him, sighing at the thought of never having to leave Jacob's side during the day.

"Oh, Nessie" Jake said as he planted a kiss on my forehead.

"JACOB! DO NOT KISS MY DAUGHTER IN MY HOUSE!" Dad yelled from the backyard.

"Isn't it technically Carlisle's house?" Jake questioned quietly. I grinned at him as Dad came back into the house, his shirt ripped and hanging off his torso. Uncle Em came in behind him without a shirt on and rubbing his left arm.

"So, Nessie…" Aunt Rose said as she came in from the garage. "Did you talk to anyone besides your family today at school?"

"No." I stated. "Why would I?"

"Nessie, it's not a crime to make friends other than vampires" Dad lectured.

"Hey! What about werewolves?" Jake demanded.

"You're not a real werewolf, Jacob." Dad explained, rolling his eyes.

"Fine! Shape shifters, then, although werewolf sounds a lot cooler." Jake responded, sulking into the back of the couch.

"Don't worry, Jake. You'll always be my little werewolf." I told him, soothing his frustration at technical language.

"I don't know if _little_ is the best description of a smelly house pet like him" Aunt Rose mumbled as she walked into the kitchen.

"I heard that, Blondie!" Jake yelled over the back of the couch.

As Jake and Aunt Rose continued their bickering, I began to think over what Aunt Rose and Dad had brought to the forefront of my mind. Was it really a bad thing if I made human friends? What was the worst that could happen? _They could discover what my family really was, then be hunted and killed by the Volturi. Either that, or be eaten for dinner,_ I thought.

"Nessie, don't think like that." Dad said.

"What did she think?" Mom whispered to him.

"Tell you later" He responded as he pulled her over towards the piano and began to play her lullaby for her.

I decided, right then and there, that maybe I would give this whole human-friend thing a try. After all, I was half-human. It shouldn't be a bad idea, right?

"Aunt Alice?" I called softly, even though I knew she would hear me no matter how softly I spoke.

"Nessie, you know I can't see you or your future, dear." She told me as she gracefully descended down the stairs. "But if you ask my opinion, I would say that it will be fine. We'll just have to be extra careful".

"Could someone _please_ explain to those of us who don't speak vampire?" Jake demanded.

"Nessie was just wondering about what the possible repercussions would be if she did actually attempt to befriend a human. She had requested that Alice look into the future to see if it would work, but because she's like you, Jake, Alice can't see her future and, therefore, doesn't have a vision of what would or wouldn't happen if Nessie made a human friend." Dad said in a monotone voice from his piano in the other room, as if he were having to explain basic mathematics to a grown man.

"Oh." Jake said "I think it would be a great idea, Nessie!" He was always so supportive of me.

"Okay, then. Tomorrow, I'll try talking to this one girl in my math class. She sits kind of close to me and looked really nice" I informed everyone.

"Great! A girl! I mean… it would just be easier if it was someone who was like you, right?" Jake stammered while blushing and looking down at the floor. He was so cute!

So, I was going to try and befriend a human. This is a good thing, right?


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Renesmee POV**

I woke up the next morning feeling nervous for the first time in my unique life. After having a full night to actually think over my decision from yesterday on befriending a human, I was beginning to have second thoughts.

"Time to get up, Nessie. Oh, and by the way…" Dad began "Stop second guessing yourself. It'll be fine. We'll all help you."

_Thanks, Dad_ I thought. _I'll be out in a few_.

Dad just nodded and closed my bedroom door. I swung my feet out from underneath my covers and strode over to my massive closet that Aunt Alice had thrown a fit about having installed. She insisted that it be this big. I turned on the light and walked down to the third row, although aisle would be a better description, and picked out a very human yet fashionable outfit (I did have to live with Aunt Alice, after all). After I changed into my outfit and put on my shoes, I walked out into the living room of our little cottage.

"Morning, Momma!" I said as I pecked her cheek and gave her a good-morning hug.

"Good morning, sweetheart. How did you sleep?" She asked me as she began to brush my curls for me.

"Good, I guess. I'm just a little nervous about talking to that girl today in math class. I don't even remember her name." I explained.

"Well," she continued. "That's a good beginning point. Just sit down in class, ask her name, and if she has a pencil or something trivial like that to borrow" she suggested.

"Really?" I questioned. "That won't sound too corny or rehearsed?"

Mom laughed as she continued to brush my hair for me. "No, sweetie. Humans like to begin conversations with new people like that."

"Oh." I said. I practiced in my head asking her name over and over until Dad glared at me. _Sorry_ I thought.

After Mom was done brushing my hair, the three of us raced each other to the main house where everyone was waiting for us to go to school. Even Jake was there this morning.

"Jake!" I exclaimed as I bounded over to him and he caught me in his long arms.

"How's my Nessie this morning?" He asked me after kissing my hair.

"I'm good, now that I've seen you." I told him with a large smile on my face.

"Are you ready for your newest adventure today?"

"Yeah" I sighed. "I guess".

"Don't tell me you're chickening out, Renesmee Carlie Cullen!" Jake joked with me as he playfully pushed me in the arm.

"How dare you suggest that I would chicken out of something, Jacob Black!" I yelled back at him as I returned the playful push with a playful swat of his arm.

"Ow" he mumbled.

"Okay, you two. Break it up, although I wouldn't mind if you hit him harder next time, Nessie." Dad said with a grin as he came up behind us from the house. "It's time to get to school. Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah. I'll be there in a second, _Edward_" I said with a laugh.

Dad rolled his eyes and walked over to Mom, who was holding her hand out to him and laughing silently.

"Don't worry about it" Jake reassured me as we walked towards the garage. "You'll be just fine today, and so will math class girl. You two will be the best of friends!" He was optimistic, which was good to see coming from him.

"Jake" I said with exasperation " I haven't even learned her name yet. Don't start picking out friendship bracelets or anything". I gave him another hug and a kiss on the cheek before sliding into the back of the Volvo. He waved as we drove out of the garage and down the long driveway before hitting the main roads. The whole way, I was thinking about how it would be just fantastic if I could make it through the day without condemning my potential new friend to death for lending me school supplies.

We arrived at school with extra time than normal to spare. I think everyone was just a little nervous too about today's extra plans. We stood around in the parking lot and talked about trivial things. Well, it was all trivial except for Uncle Emmett. He was still fuming over a lost wrestling match to Uncle Jasper.

"Really, Jazz" Uncle Emmett said. "I could beat you any day of the week."

"Yeah, any day except for the ones that end in 'y'" Uncle Jazz retorted as he glanced over in my direction with a comforting smile.

"Ha! Rematch, you and me, this Sunday!" Uncle Em proudly proclaimed.

"Um, Emmet? Sunday ends with a 'y'" Aunt Rose explained.

"Monday?"

"Y"

"Tuesday?"

"Y"

"Wednesday? Thursday? Friday?"

"Y, Y, and Y"

"Well" Uncle Em said with a big smile on his face "At least that still leaves Saturday!" Aunt Rose just rolled her eyes and glanced over at Dad.

"Well, everyone" Dad began. "It's time to get the show on the road. Nessie, you ready for the wonderful world of Shakespeare?" He was way too excited about English class.

"Sure, uh huh. Whatever" I told him as I grabbed my bag and started to walk towards the school.

"She'll be okay." I heard Dad say as he quickly followed behind me. He was probably talking to Mom.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Renesmee POV**

First and second period passed quickly. I definitely would not be able to tell you anything that we discussed in either class simply because I was so nervous about third period. I still had no idea whether or not me talking to a human girl was a good idea, but I decided that if my entire family supported it, then I should give it a try. I've never talked to a non-vampire before, besides the Quileute pack, and they were just as mythical as my family was. I stepped through the doorway of the classroom and glanced towards the back where my desk was. I sat down and pulled out my math notebook while Dad and Aunt Alice sat down on my right side. The girl with whom I was planning on striking up a random conversation with gently placed her bag on top of her desk and sat down next me on my left.

"Hi" I said sheepishly with a quick glance to my right. Dad nodded his head ever so slightly and Aunt Alice beamed at me from behind him. "My name is Renesmee but everyone calls me Nessie."

The human girl lifted her head up from its resting place on her desk. That's when I noticed how her eyes were a very pretty deep green with a hint of blue and maybe even purple running through them. It was such a unique color that I'd never seen or even heard of before that it took awhile to notice that she was smiling at me.

"Hi, Nessie. My name is Alexis but I like for people to call me Lexi. Alexis makes me sound old." She informed with a giggle. I heard Dad chuckle behind me.

"At least people can pronounce your name without butchering it" I told her as we leaned closer to each other so we could continue our conversation while Mr. Gearson attempted to instruct the class on the importance of memorizing the degrees of angles.

"You're name is really cool too. It kind of sounds like 'Renee' but with a different name tacked on to the end" She told me. _Wow_ I thought. _This girl is smart._

"Yeah. I'm named after my two grandmothers" I told her. "Have you always lived in Forks or are you new here like me?" I asked her.

"Well" She said. "I'm not as new as you but this is my first year in Forks. My dad has to travel a lot and was transferred to Seattle. My mom had grown tired of living in large cities, so she chose to live in Forks. My dad comes here on the weekends and stays in Seattle during the week" she explained. "What about you? Where did you move here from?"

_Uh-oh_ I thought. _What do I tell her was the reason why we moved to Forks? Dad, help!_

"Nessie!" Dad whispered quietly to me, although it was loud enough for Lexi to hear. "Stop talking and pay attention! Don't make me tell Dad that you talked all throughout class again." He gave me a quick wink as he turned to face the front of the class again.

_Thanks_ I thought. I gave Lexi a quick grin and turned to face the front. We only had a few minutes of class time left. Had I really been talking to her for the whole time? Wow. I had actually done it. It was nothing, like talking to Aunt Rose or Aunt Alice. Just then, the bell rang.

"Class was fun today, wasn't it?" Lexi asked me with a giggle as we both began to gather our things.

"Yeah, it was great." I replied with a smile. "Wish every class was this entertaining".

"I'm glad you find my class so intriguing, Miss Cullen! It's refreshing to see students who enjoy actual learning!" Mr. Gearson proclaimed. It was then that we noticed that the entire class had already left and we were the only ones still in Geometry. Lexi and I walked quickly out into the hallway, where we burst out into bouts of laughter that had my entire family grinning from ear to ear.

"That. Was. So. Funny!" I said, as my ability to breathe began to return.

"Oh my gosh, it was!" Lexi replied, still clutching her side from laugh pains.

Once we had regained our composure, I turned towards my family and introduced them to my newest friend. "Everyone, this is Alexis…" I looked at her, realizing that I did not know her last name.

"Hartford. Alexis Hartford. But please," she requested "call me Lexi".

"It's very nice to meet you, Lexi" Dad said. "I'm Nessie's brother, Edward. This is our other brother, Emmett." He pointed to Uncle Em, who was standing right behind us with a goofy grin on his face. Lexi just looked him in the eye and gave him a big smile and wave.

"They're my real brothers" I told her. "I have three adopted sisters and one adopted brother, although we're all adopted, so it's a big jig-saw family!" I glanced over at Dad as I said this and noticed how he couldn't stop smiling in my direction.

"Wow!" she exclaimed. " I'm so completely jealous. I've always wanted a big family, especially a big brother."

"Oh, you can have Emmett anytime you want" I told her with a smile.

"Hey!" Uncle Em interrupted. "I'm a priceless collector's item! You shouldn't trade me with anyone!"

Lexi and I quickly glanced at one another before breaking out into bouts of laughter yet again. I liked laughing this much. It felt good.

"Okay, you two" Dad said, chuckling quietly under his breath. "I think it's time to get to class".

"Hey Nessie!" Lexi called to me as we walked towards separate ends of the hallway. "See you at lunch?!"

"Sure! That would be awesome!" I yelled back, excited that I had made a new friend.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Links to pictures of cars mentioned below are posted on my profile. Personally, I would do just about anything for the Ferrari, and I'm not a big car person. Also, in case you've forgotten, I don't own the copyrights to Twilighty things. **

**Chapter 6**

**BPOV**

I hate having to sit through lunch in the cafeteria simply because of the amount of noise which accompanies lunch rooms as well as the smell of the food humans eat. I can't believe I used to eat school lunches. Did they even know what they were eating? Of course, today's lunch time was the best time I'd ever had sitting in a school cafeteria. Renesmee and her new friend, Alexis, were sitting at the table with us and were completely oblivious to anyone else.

"When we lived in Europe, Alice would take me to Paris at least twice a month to go shopping. I like the shopping part, but not the putting on the clothes part. She gets a little aggressive at times" I heard my daughter say with a quick grin towards her aunt.

"I know exactly what you mean, although not about the sister taking you shopping part. When we lived in Italy for eleven months, my mom would take me shopping so often that Dad had to block all her credit cards for awhile just so that we could clean out the closets in the house" Lexi explained. "I love to shop, though. Fashion is so interesting, although I must admit that I prefer cars to clothes."

"You like cars?" Nessie asked her.

"Oh yeah, although I really prefer fast and sporty to slow and sturdy. Ya know what I mean?"

"What kind of car is your favorite, Lexi?" Edward asked.

_Of course he has to ask that. _ I thought, once again glad that I had the ability to shield my mind from him.

"Well. I really like any type of Aston Martin, although the V8 Vantage would have to be my favorite of those. My absolute favorite car, however, is the Ferrari F430 Spider. In sleek black granite. I love that car!"

The entire table simply stared at Lexi with our mouths hanging open for a few seconds. Not only was she seemingly knowledgeable about cars, but she also evidently has very expensive tastes. The way she talked about the Ferrari made it sound as if she actually had one.

"Wow. That's impressive." Edward chimed in. "You know a lot about cars, then, huh?"

"Well…" she explained, looking a little guilty "Dad likes to collect cars, although we move around so much that he really can't collect many. Mom thinks it's a waste of money, buying expensive cars, but she also thinks it's a waste of money to turn on more than one light in the house at a time. She's kind of stingy but without any need to be."

I pushed my shield away from my mind so that I could ask Edward a question.

_Edward! _I mentally called to him. He turned his head ever so slightly to the side so that I would know that he "heard" me. _Do you think it would be a bad idea to maybe invite Lexi over one day? I think Nessie really likes having someone who is close to her age to talk to. _

He shrugged his shoulders just a bit, which should have been unnoticeable to any human watching us. That's why it was strange that, at the moment, Lexi stared at Edward like she was waiting for an explanation. She quickly whipped her head back towards Nessie, but not before all of us had noticed what had happened.

**Renesmee POV**

_That was weird_ I thought. _Why did every member of my family suddenly become so rigid? What happened, Dad?_

I looked across the table to where my father was sitting and saw that he was looking at Aunt Alice, who appeared to be staring off into space. I knew that this meant that she was having a vision of some sort, but I had no way of learning what she was seeing at that moment. Suddenly, I caught movement out of the corner of my eye. I turned my head towards the rest of the cafeteria and saw a boy who had the same color eyes as Lexi running over towards our table.

"Lexi! Hey Lexi!" He shouted at her. She quickly turned her head towards the sound of his voice, sighed deeply, and then stood up as he reached our table. "Um, hey" he said again, this time noticing the rest of us at the table. _Who is this guy?_ I thought.

"Hey Chris. Everybody, this is my younger brother, Christopher" Lexi said, introducing everyone with a smile that didn't seem to reach her eyes. She glanced over at him with narrowed eyes and then, in a calm but authoritative voice said "What?"

"Uh, well, uh…" Christopher stammered, seemingly embarrassed at how he had approached our table. _This is weird_ I thought. _He seems hesitant to talk in front of us. _I saw Dad briefly nod his head out of the corner of my eye. Chris stared at him for a second too long and then turned back towards Lexi. "Mom just called. We need to go home. Something's wrong with Dad again".

Lexi stood there facing him for a brief moment, and it almost looked like the two siblings were communicating with one another before she responded. "Did he have another seizure?" she asked, raising the eyebrow over her right eye.

"Uh, yeah. He had a seizure and Mom needs us to get home… NOW." He replied, emphasizing the _now._

"Alright. I'll meet you at the front office in five minutes to check out. Go get your things" Lexi told him in a too-calm voice. Her brother ran out of the cafeteria while Lexi shook her head and turned towards the table.

"Sorry 'bout that." She said. "He is just like Mom and, therefore, over reacts to things sometimes".

"Oh my gosh, Lexi" I said. "Are you alright? What about your Dad? Our Dad is a doctor at the hospital. I can call him for you if you want?" I wanted to try and help her as much as I could. I already considered her a good friend and hated to hear that her family could be in distress.

"Oh, that's alright" she replied smoothly. "Dad always has these episodes. I'm sure he's just fine." She gathered up her things and turned towards the door. "Thanks for inviting me to sit with you today. Sorry I have to leave like this. I'll see you in class tomorrow, Nessie. It was nice meeting everyone!" She called over her shoulder as she exited the cafeteria and headed towards the front of the school.

"That was… interesting" Uncle Emmett interjected. My family glanced around the table at one another before all eyes rested on my face.

"Nessie? Are you okay?" Mom asked in a calm but concerned voice.

"Is it just me or did she react very strangely to the news that her father is having a medical emergency? I've never been fully human, but I know that if something was wrong with you or Dad, I would be freaking out" I explained, pulling my eyes away from the doors that. Lexi had just exited through and focusing on my parents across the table. "I mean, it's almost as if it was a lie: just an excuse so that they could leave school". I was feeling very strange at this moment. I was feeling angry that Lexi had to leave and… well... something that I couldn't figure out what.

"Nessie, it's okay" Uncle Jasper told me as he sent a wave of calm towards me. "You'll see her in school tomorrow. You don't need to be sad".

Sad? That's what the other feeling was? _Huh_ I thought. _I guess it is possible to become friends with a human. _ I heard Dad chuckle and whisper what I had thought to the rest of the table. A huge smile crossed my lips as the bell that signified the end of the lunch period rang and my family and I rose from our table in the corner of the cafeteria. _I just hope everything's okay with her dad,_ I thought. As we walked out of the gigantic room, Dad put his arm around my shoulders while Mom grabbed my hand in hers. Together, we walked off to our next class.

It had begun to rain in the middle of seventh period. I liked the rain, just because it made the whole world smell like freshly picked flowers and springtime. I knew that Aunt Rose hated the rain because it ruined her hair, especially when Uncle Em would "accidently" move the umbrella from over her head.

"Ugh, Emmett!" Aunt Rose yelled as we crossed the student parking lot towards our cars. "Could you please pay attention to what you're doing?! You got my hair wet… again!"

"Sorry, baby" Uncle Emmett responded with a chuckle and a look sideways at Aunt Alice, who was trying very hard to not burst out laughing. "My hand slipped". Aunt Rose just glared at him as she pulled the keys to her BMW M3 out of her purse. Uncle Emmett, Uncle Jasper, and Aunt Alice always rode in Aunt Rose's car while Dad, Mom, and I always took Dad's silver Volvo. We reached the Volvo, which Dad had already unlocked, and I began to get in when I heard my name being called.

"Renesmee! Renesmee!"

I turned around to see Lexi running over towards me with her younger brother, Chris, glaring at her back. "Hey, Lexi!" I responded; glad to see my new friend again. "How's your father doing?" I asked her.

"What? Oh, yeah. No, he's fine. Thanks for asking" she said quickly. She should have been out of breath, even just a little bit. She had run quite quickly across the vast parking lot, most of which was slightly up hill. Even the fittest at Forks High School had trouble keeping their breathing steady while walking across the whole lot and she had just run across it. "I just wanted to see if you had managed to write down the homework for math today. I, uh, seem to have misplaced my assignment book". As Lexi explained her reason for finding me, I saw her brother begin to run after her across the parking lot with his cell phone in hand.

"Um, well. I don't think we had any, did we Edward?" I asked, turning towards my father, who had a very perplexed look on his face. I then saw that the rest of my family was staring at Chris or at my father, all with worried and anxious expressions on their faces.

"No" Dad responded curtly. "We don't have any homework for tonight. Nessie, it's time to go". He looked down towards me and raised his eyebrow over his left eye, which I knew meant that he was very serious.

"LEXI!" The boy running towards us yelled out as he pulled to a quick stop right behind my friend. He shoved the cell phone towards her and then took a few steps back. Lexi quickly turned her back towards the rest of us and began to mumble into the phone.

"Yeah. Uh huh. At school. It's not a problem. No. Yes. Right now? Where? From here? Ten minutes. It can be five. I'll make it three, but you need to have… okay. That works. Yes. Both of us. Alright. Bye". Lexi hung up the phone and handed it back to her brother. The entire conversation had taken less than five seconds. "Sorry, Nessie. I have to run, but thanks for the info on the math homework. I don't know if I'll be at school tomorrow. My mom might need help watching my dad. I'll see ya soon, though. Bye!" And with that, she and her brother took off across the parking lot at a very fast pace. I just stood there, shocked. What was going on? That phone conversation was very strange, and Lexi had looked very apprehensive and stressed during the whole thing.

"Wow. She really does have a Ferrari" I heard Dad comment as I watched Lexi and her brother zoom out of the parking lot in a sleek black sports car.

"Dad?" I questioned. "Is there anywhere in Forks that takes three minutes to get to from here?" I already knew the answer to my question, but felt the need to double check.

"Well, I suppose it _is_ possible, although she would need to drive like us in order to make it so" he replied. _That's exactly what I thought, _I told him mentally as I climbed into the backseat of the car. I liked Lexi a lot, but there was no doubt in my mind that there was something very different and, dare I say it, odd about her. As we sped towards home, I couldn't help but wonder if I should be worried that Lexi was different than most humans.


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Thank you so much for putting up with my slackerness! School has been absolutely crazy and I haven't had a chance until just recently to update. Never fear, I have time now so it won't be a week before I update again. Also, thank you so much to those that reviewed. I appreciate it! Here you go!**

**Disclaimer: Nope, don't own the rights to Twilight. Darn.**

**Chapter 7**

**Renesmee POV**

When we arrived home, we went straight into the main house. Dad went off to find Grandpa, while everyone else went to their rooms. Mom went into the kitchen, where Grandma was. I just plopped down onto the couch in the living room. I was just beginning to wonder where Jake was when my favorite wolf walked into the room.

"Why so glum, Nessie?" He asked as he sat down beside me. I leaned against him and nestled myself so that I fit perfectly into his arms. I loved it when Jake would hold me. It always felt as if his arms were made just for me.

"Nothing's wrong, Jake. I was just thinking" I explained.

"Thinking about what" Jake inquired.

"Well, I was just thinking about Lexi". I told him.

"Who's Lexi?"

"She's the girl from my math class. You know; the human. I talked to her today and then she sat down at lunch with us. She's really nice and knows a lot about cars. You would like her. Daddy almost drooled over her car this afternoon". I was trying to tell Jake as much about Lexi as I could, but her strange and random behavior was clouding my mind. I just couldn't stop thinking about the way she spoke about her father; and then there was that phone call!

"Hello! Earth to Nessie!" Jake was waving his huge hand in front of my face, trying to catch my attention.

"Sorry, Jake. It's just… weird." I placed my hand on his face and showed him the day's events, especially whenever something with Lexi occurred. "See what I mean?"

"Yeah. She's a weirdo" He told me.

"Jake! That's my friend you're talking about!" I yelled as I hit him across the shoulder. Of course it did nothing to him. "Don't insult her." Jake grinned at me as he kissed my forehead.

"You like her, then, huh? This… Lexi?" He inquired.

"Yeah. She's really cool, despite her strange behavior. We talked so much, and it was kind of cool to not have to pretend she was my sister or relative in public. It felt liberating a little, kind of like I had just found a missing part of half of me." I sighed as I finished my sentence, thinking about how anxious I had been this morning and how that anxiety now seemed so silly. It had been so easy talking to Lexi today. "I hope she comes to school tomorrow" I mumbled. "I can't wait to talk to her again". Jake hugged me tighter against his warm chest, and within seconds, I was asleep.

I woke up the next morning to my mom opening the door to my bedroom. Evidently, someone (probably Dad) had carried me back to our little cottage behind the main house during the night. It was frustrating at times to be the only one in the family who had to sleep.

"Morning, Nessie. Alice came by and dropped off an outfit for you today, although you know that you don't have to wear it if you don't want to" Mom declared, scrunching her nose up a bit at the idea of Aunt Alice dressing me. I just laughed and stepped out of bed.

"It's alright, Momma" I told her as I stretched slightly. "I'll wear the outfit she picked out for me".

"Yeah, I know. She told me you would. I'll go get it" Mom huffed as she walked out of my room towards the living room. I changed into the outfit Aunt Alice had brought for me and went to the front of the house, where Dad and Mom were waiting for me so that we could run to the main house together. We arrived quickly and went to join the rest of the Cullens in the living room.

"Morning Edward! Morning Bella! Morning Nessie!" We were greeted with a chorus of voices as we walked through the front door. I saw Aunt Alice grin widely at my outfit and then grimace as she observed what Mom had chosen to wear for that day. Mom noticed her silent critique as well.

"Don't even start, Alice!" Mom warned, the corners of her mouth pulling up ever so slightly. "I may not be able to read minds like Edward, but I am not going shopping with you, so stop trying to change my clothes with your eyes". Everyone in the room laughed as Grandpa and Grandma walked in to join us.

"Is Alice analyzing our outfits again?" Grandpa chuckled as he walked towards me and gave me a big hug.

"It's not my fault that I am gifted in the art of clothes matching while the rest of my poor family has had to suffer for years without me" Aunt Alice responded.

"Hey!" Aunt Rosalie interjected. "I think I do a pretty good job, thank you very much!"

"Oh, yeah. Of course" Aunt Alice retorted, rolling her eyes and joining her husband on the bottom stair of the staircase that led up to the second floor of the house. Aunt Rose huffed as she sat down beside Uncle Emmett on the couch. He put his arm around her as he giggled to himself. I smiled at my family, reveling in the fact that we would be with one another for forever, and that this exact argument would be repeated many times over.

"Hey, Nessie." Grandpa said, turning towards me from across the room. "Your mother and father told us about how well yesterday went with your new friend".

_Well?_ I asked Dad. _Did you not mention her, um, odd behavior? _I saw Dad grin and shake his head. "Yeah" I replied to Grandpa with a look at my father. "She's really nice, and we have a lot in common. I mean, from what we can talk about, anyways".

"That's excellent, Nessie" Grandma Esme said. She seemed very happy that it had gone so well at school yesterday. "I'm so glad that you and this Lexi had pleasant conversations with one another".

"Yes, so am I" Grandpa added. "Which is why it might not be a bad idea to, after getting to know her a bit at school, you consider inviting her over after school one day". I just stared at Grandpa. _What?!_ I thought. _ Invite her over? HERE?!_ I heard Dad chuckle under his breath.

"Yes, Nessie. We want you to have human experiences as well as vampire ones, and you're mother informed me yesterday that one very human experience for girls is to have sleepovers with one another from time to time. We all think that it would be beneficial for you as well as for the rest of the family if you spend as much time as possible with Lexi. Out of all of us, you have the least amount of interaction with humans, and it seems as if Lexi is the perfect person for you to interact with" Dad explained.

_Well, when you say it like that _I told him silently. "Okay" I told the rest of my family. "So… when do I invite her over?"

"Why don't you give it a few days" Grandpa suggested. "You two have just become friends, and you don't want to rush things to fast. Human's tend to like building relationships slowly".

"Relationships?" Uncle Emmett asked. "Is she dating this girl?"

"Oh dear Lord" Aunt Rose said in exasperation as she clamped her hand over her husband's mouth. All the rest of us could hear was his muffled mumblings and Mom's giggles. 

"Okay" I said again. "We'll see how this whole thing goes". With that declaration, my whole family got into our cars and went off to begin our day masquerading as humans.


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: First of a****ll, sorry it has been centuries since I've updated. School plus sickness plus writer's block did not help me these past couple of weeks. Also, sorry if this chapter doesn't seem to fit in with the flow of things. I just really wanted to write a chapter from someone else's viewpoint for this section. I love getting reviews from you guys, so thanks so much and keep them coming! **

**I do not own Twilight or anything pertaining to Twilight. I do own a puppy, though. Her name is Belle. **

**Edward POV**

It was another day; another mundane and intellectually vacant day. I had hoped, to no avail, that after more than fifty years, Forks High School could have updated their class lesson plans, but of course that was expecting too much. I was sitting in Biology, pretending to listen as the teacher went on and on about evolution and the wonderful theories that Charles Darwin came up with. Yawn.

_"Edward_," I heard. I turned my head slightly to the left so that Emmett could tell I had heard him. Of course, a slight anything is too subtle for Emmett to notice. I should have remembered that.

_**"EDWARD!!!!!!"**___Something hit my face just then. It was a crumpled up piece of notebook paper. One side had a drawing of what I could only guess was a bear being beaten up by Emmett, or at least I thought it was supposed to be Emmett. It really looked more like a panda. On the other side were two words written in Emmett's child like handwriting.

I'm Bored.

I rolled my eyes as I stuffed the wad of paper into my bag. _Of course he's bored_, I thought. _Who wouldn't be bored in this classroom; in this school? _It was then that another flying object connected with the back of my head. I knew Emmett had thrown it because of the force it hit me with as well as the fact that I could hear him giggling across the room. I picked up Emmett's newest note, cringing at the various flashes of what was written on the note that were travelling through my brother's mind at the moment.

Eddie, Emmett wrote. I really am really, really bored. Can't we do something for fun, like steal everyone's papers when they're not paying attention? Or, or… how about we make Mr. Science up there believe this Darwin guy's ghost has come back to haunt him. We can make him believe that all the theories are wrong and then make Darwin ghost tell him that…

I mouthed 'No' to Emmett and watched his face turn to a pout. I sighed and stuffed the second ridiculous piece of paper in my bag as well. I simply sat there, counting down the seconds until class would be over and I could see my Bella again. Finally, the bell rang, signifying the end of my horrendous biology class. I rushed out into the hallway to find Bella and Renesmee arguing quietly in front of the doors to the cafeteria.

"Mom", Renesmee whispered. "I don't want to ask her right now! What if she says no or thinks that I'm weird for asking her?"

"Nessie, dear" I heard Bella reply. I could tell that this conversation had begun long before this moment and began to push my way through the lunchtime rush crowd, pulling Jasper along with me. "I didn't mean right _now._ I simply meant that you should be thinking about asking her over soon. I just feel as if you are procrastinating on this because of fear. I don't want you to be afraid, Renesmee".

_Sheesh!_ I heard Jasper mentally proclaim. _It's only been a couple of weeks since the idea was suggested. Give her more time!_

"What's going on?" I asked as I stepped in between my wife and my daughter. The rest of the family had gathered and we were nonchalantly moving everyone towards the doors that led outside. I was worried that if Renesmee became agitated enough, she would forget where we were and say or do something she would regret.

"Nothing," Nessie replied. "Just Mom being overbearing and pushy".

"Nessie!" Rosalie exclaimed. "I have never heard you talk like that. She is your mother! What's gotten into you?"

The entire family simply stared at my daughter and I began to sense that she was going to breakdown at any moment. Sure enough, tears started to form in her big brown eyes.

"I'm sorry, Momma" she whimpered, throwing her arms around Bella in a tight hug. "I didn't mean to be so rude. I just…"

"It's okay, Nessie" Bella said, stroking our daughter's hair and glancing at me with a look of worry on her face. "You've had a tough couple of weeks. I shouldn't have been pressuring you like that."

Our family began to separate once everyone realized that there wasn't going to be a fight. Bella released her hold on Nessie and stood next to her, still stroking her hair. Nessie began to wipe her eyes.

"Nessie?! Are you okay? What's wrong?"

We all turned as we heard a familiar voice call out to us from the parking lot. Lexi came running over towards the group and stood in front of her friend.

"I'm okay, Lexi. I promise" Renesmee said. "I've just been having a bad day."

"Aww, Nessie. I'm so sorry. Is there anything I can do?" Lexi put her arms around Renesmee as Bella came over to stand next to me. She dropped her mental shield to ask if everything was okay. I gave her hand that had slipped into mine a gentile squeeze for reassurance.

"No, I'm alright." Nessie explained. "By the way, where were you today in math?"

"Oh" Lexi said, taking a step backwards and glancing towards the parking lot. Her brother was beginning to walk towards her with a look of disbelief on his face.

_He doesn't look very happy, does he?_ I heard Bella say.

"I had a doctor's appointment. Well, we both did actually. It took longer than expected, so we just got back to school. Did I miss anything important?" Lexi said all of this in a rush while glancing towards her brother with looks of warning on her face. All I could hear from her mind were curses directed towards her brother. Her brother's mind was simpler to listen to. He was only thinking one thing: _this is wrong._

"Well, he changed the test from Wednesday to Monday." Nessie explained.

_Dad?_ I glanced at my daughter. _Can I ask her to come over tonight?_ I nodded my head and gave Bella's hand another quick squeeze. She looked up at me with a questioning expression. I grinned at her and kissed her forehead.

"Wednesday? That sucks!" Lexi exclaimed. "I haven't even begun to study yet. Now I'm going to have to spend all weekend doing nothing but studying. Ugh!!"

"We could torture ourselves with math together… if you want." Nessie stated, throwing sideways glances in our direction. Bella's face lit up with a huge smile as she understood what all the silent communication had been about.

"That would be fantastic! I would much rather hate math with you then hate math alone." Lexi exclaimed. "When do you want to get together to study? Tomorrow?"

"Well, how about you come over to my house tonight. I mean, if you want. We can have a study party all night." Nessie suggested.

"What? Like a sleepover?" Lexi's face became bright and cheerful until she glanced towards her brother, who had come to stand just a few feet away from his sister and was glaring at her.

"Umm, yeah. A sleepover. It doesn't have to be one if you don't want to, though. We can just meet to study somewhere. I just thought a sleepover would make it a lot more interesting, but if it sounds too third-grade..." My daughter was beginning to babble, something she did only when she became very nervous. I could see her hand shaking slightly, which meant she was fighting her instincts to simply touch Lexi's face and make her 'see' what she meant.

"No, a sleepover sounds great!" Lexi replied, rolling her eyes at her brother and turning back towards Nessie with a huge grin on her face. Lexi's brother sighed loudly and stomped off into the cafeteria. "When should I come over? What do I need to bring? Do we really have to study?"

Renesmee laughed and put her arm around Lexi. "Can you come over after school today? I don't think you need to bring anything except stuff for sleeping."

"And your school books." I interjected, receiving a death glare from both my daughter and my wife. I gave Renesmee a reassuring smile and pulled Bella away towards the cafeteria. We needed to talk with the rest of the family.


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: Whoa! It's been forever and a day. Sorry! :D I hope you enjoy it and, as a****lways, I don't own Twilight! P.S. I bought the two-disk special edition of the movie this past weekend, and have watched it everyday since then. Love it!**

Renesmee POV

_YES!!!!! YES YES YES!!!!!!! _ I couldn't stop shouting to myself. I was so excited! Lexi had agreed to not only come over, but to spend the night. _Wait! _ I thought. _How the heck are we going to explain everyone not sleeping to Lexi? _

"We will figure something out, Nessie" Daddy said as we reached our standard lunch table where the rest of my family was anxiously awaiting our arrival.

"I'm so excited, Nessie!" Aunt Alice screamed.

"Yes, we know, Alice" Dad said, pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingers.

"Sorry, Edward, but this is huge. Oh, I can't wait for all the fun we're going to have. First, we'll do makeovers. I think we still have a lot of makeup left from the wedding. Then, we can move on to…"

"Wait" I said, stopping Aunt Alice from going any further. "As much as I appreciate your, um, enthusiasm, I don't know if bombarding Lexi like that is such a good idea. I think the biggest thing we need to figure out is how to explain our strange behaviors to her."

"Nessie's right" Uncle Emmett said, finally glancing away from staring at Aunt Rose. "Won't this human notice when none of us go to sleep at night? What about food? Are we gonna hafta eat in front of her? Cuz if so, then Rose and I are going on vacation right now".

"No one is going to have to eat anything, Emmett" Dad said, rolling his eyes and looking at Mom. "Bella, what do you think?"

"I think that Lexi is the type of person who may notice things, but won't care or won't mention them to anyone. She seems to appreciate secrecy and, therefore, it should be alright. We just… you know… have to be careful" Mom glared at Uncle Emmett with her honey colored eyes.

"Okay. Here are the rules for tonight" Dad explained, sitting down at the table. I sat down to his left while Mom sat down on his right. I looked across the table at the anxious (or annoyed, as in Aunt Rose's case) faces of my family and couldn't help but feel extremely content.

"Whoa, Nessie!" Uncle Jasper exclaimed, jumping back a little in his seat. "You are really loving this, aren't you?" He winked at me as he shook his head at Aunt Alice and gestured for Dad to continue.

"Rule number one: Do not move too fast. It may be difficult, but we need to make sure we move at human speed so that Lexi does not, well, think we're not human". Dad grimaced as his verbose way of speaking strangely began to decline. Usually he was much more articulate, although he had been staring at Mom. He tended to mess up when speaking if she was around. "Okay. Um… rule number two: no teasing, whether blatantly or not, anyone about anything having to do with being a human or a vampire". Everyone glanced at Uncle Emmett, who had struck a pouty face pose that one would typically see on a five year old. Dad just laughed and continued.

"Rule three: there will be no attempts to engage in any sort of contest, including but not limited to betting, on how the event will turn out. This is a new experience… well, sort of… for all of us".

"Rule four: leave Nessie alone".

"Rule five: leave Lexi alone".

"Rule six: leave me alone".

"Rule seven: leave…"

"Edward, I think they get the picture" Mom interjected, placing one hand on either side of Dad's face and turning his face towards hers. The entire table released a sigh of relief and turned towards one another to jabber excitedly in whispers. I just sat there, staring at my crazy, mixed up family and wondered if any creature, whether human or not, had ever been as lucky as me before. The answer was simple: no.

Lexi POV

_Wow,_ I thought. _ She really wants me to come over and spend the night? Does she not know about me? Oh, right, of course she doesn't. Why would she? Well, that'll make it a whole lot easier. I am so excited, now! Oh, and Chris? SHUT UP! _

I was so excited about getting to spend the night with Nessie. I hadn't had interaction with someone other than my brother since, well, ever really. I know that it may not be the best idea, considering what my family does for a living, but I was never given instructions which forebode friendships that existed with non family members. It'll be fine, right?

"Lex, I don't know about this" My brother said as we walked from the cafeteria towards the front office. We both had notes excusing us from missing this morning's classes which needed to be turned in. Of course, we had a whole drawer full of them at home. It would be so easy to skip, except that, of course, Mom and Dad would know. They always do.

"Stop being such a killjoy, Chris" I said, weaving my way through the crowded halls. No one ever seems to notice how smoothly some people can slip through a crowd. _Maybe it's just cause they don't want to notice_, I thought.

"I'm serious" He said, tugging on my arm to turn me around to face him. For a little brother, he could get very overprotective at times. Usually, I appreciated it. Right now, however, it was proving to be a great hindrance. "I don't think you should go tonight. At least… not alone".

"What?!" I yelled, not paying attention to the people surrounding me. A few people stopped and looked towards the source of the commotion. "I shouldn't go? And not alone? Are you insane?" I was extremely angry with my brother, mainly just because he was refusing to realize how important this even was to me. All he could think about was practicality.

"Keep your voice down, will you? I'm just trying to keep you safe and us safe too. What do you think they would do if they discovered… you know… our 'talents'???" Chris had directed us into an empty classroom and shut the door for privacy. I have no idea how many classrooms existed within this school, but I had no doubt that Christopher had the place memorized.

"What's to say that they'll figure it out? Maybe they have no idea that people like us even exist. Don't you think that, if they had figured us out by now and were bent on destroying us, that they would invite the entire family over?"

"Lexi, let's face it. Strategy is not your strong point. And, ever since you began this little friendship with the Cullen girl, you've been off".

_Off? _I thought. _I haven't really been off, have I? So, yeah, I've messed up a couple of times, but who hasn't?_

"Lex, it hasn't been just a few times." My brother informed me. _It's been every time since you began talking to her. _

I couldn't take his criticism of my new friend anymore. Christopher hated speaking to me through our thoughts, so whenever he did it, it was because he felt he couldn't say the words out loud. That meant that it was serious, and I was determined to not let anything stand in the way of me having a regular, fun day with a friend.

"I'm done discussing this, Christopher" I stated, sneering as I said his full name. "I am going over to my friend's house tonight to have a sleepover. It is my choice, my life, and my friend". I began to stomp out of the room when I felt two arms wrap around me from behind.

"I'm sorry, sis" I heard my brother say. "I know that I sound mean and uncaring. It's just that if, well, if anything happened to you, I could never forgive myself. And I don't think you would want to forgive me, since I already know I would retaliate. You know how strong vengeance runs within our kind".

_I know_, I thought. _But you have to let me go and try. They're different. They're kind._

"Yeah" He said, releasing his hold on me and walking out the door. " And they're vampires".


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: Here's another chapter! I hadn't realized how much I missed writing. I hate school! :D Anyways, more chapters are coming soon! Please, please, please review for me!!!! Thank you!**

Renesmee POV

_Okay,_ I thought to myself. _Do I suggest that she follow us home or give her directions so she can come over herself?_ _What about dinner?_ I was freaking out a little about tonight. Now that it was definite that Lexi was coming over, I began to realize that there was a slight possibility that tonight could end badly. What made things worse is that Aunt Alice was frustrated because she could no longer "see" what tonight was going to be like.

"I wish I could tell you if she would be okay getting there by herself, but, of course, I have no idea" Aunt Alice stated with an exasperated expression on her face. "Honestly. How can any of you stand not knowing what will happen tomorrow? It's infuriating!"

"Alice, honey, it'll be alright" Uncle Jasper put his arm around his wife's shoulders and pulled her to rest against him. A wave of calm spread to everyone sitting at the lunch table, and it took all of us a minute to continue our conversation.

"Here is what I suggest" Dad directed. "We provide Lexi with the two options and see what she picks. She might need to take her brother home before she comes over. Oh, and she'll probably want to go home to get things for the night anyways".

"Shouldn't we let Carlisle and Esme know about this? And Jacob too?" Mom asked, a concerned look suddenly spreading across her face.

"I kind of already told Jake, Mom" I informed.

"Oh, good. Wait! How?" She replied.

"Um, well…" I began. I knew that Mom didn't mind the relationship with Jake as much as she used to, but I was beginning to think that Dad was starting to have difficulties accepting mine and Jake's odd attraction to each other. I didn't want Dad to be mad at Jake.

"It doesn't matter, Bella. The important thing is that he knows and, therefore, so does the rest of the pack," Dad interjected, throwing a quick smile my way.

_Thanks, Dad_

The bell rang, signaling that it was time to go on to the rest of our school day. We all left the cafeteria and went off to our last classes of the day. I hadn't seen Lexi since I invited her over, but I figure that she would be in the parking lot after school. I could not concentrate in my classes that afternoon, and I knew that my family could tell. Dad kept glancing my way and smiling at me. Mom kept patting my hand, arm, or head. Aunt Alice would half smile and half grimace at me. Uncle Emmett looked as if he was trying his hardest to not begin bouncing up and down in his seat. Uncle Jasper and Aunt Rosalie just appeared to be indifferent, although I could tell that Aunt Rose wasn't as thrilled as everyone else about letting a human into our house.

"Ready to go, Nessie?" I heard Mom ask. I hadn't realized that the bell had rung, signaling the end of the school day.

"Uh, sure. Yeah. I'm ready" I responded, slowly standing up out of my seat.

"Are you all right, dear? You seem a little… distant" Mom questioned, glancing over her shoulder at Daddy.

"She's alright, Bella. Just having second thoughts. Nessie, it'll be just fine. Lexi's going to have a great time tonight and nothing bad will happen" Daddy explained, throwing a comforting arm around my shoulders. Together, my entire family walked out of the classroom and towards the student parking lot. That's when I noticed a sleek black Ferrari parked next to Dad's shiny Volvo and Aunt Rose's sexy red BMW. Lexi was leaning against the driver's side of her car, simply staring across the car at her brother. Occasionally, he would shake his head and look away with a smile on his face. It was almost as if they were silently communicating.

"Hey, Lexi!" I yelled. She turned her face towards mine and pushed herself off of her car with one last glare at her brother.

"Hey Nessie!" She responded.

"I hope you haven't been waiting long" I said, not realizing how fast I had crossed the parking lot.

"Oh no, not long at all. Chris and I just got here. To the car, I mean". She was stammering a little, which was odd. She had always been so articulate before. I didn't give it a second thought, though. I was so excited that the school day was now over and the weekend was here.

"Okay" I said. "Do you want us to give you directions to our house and you can come over when you're ready?"

"Oh, sure" She replied. "I have to drop off my annoying and sullen brother over there". She pointed towards her brother, who rolled his eyes and huffed loudly.

"Good. My brother can give you the directions" I explained as my father walked forward.

"Where in town do you live, Lexi?" He questioned.

"Ummm.." She murmured, glancing over at her brother. "You can just give me directions from the school to your house. I live close to here".

I saw my father's eyes squint just a little as he took in whatever was going on in my new friend's head. _Dad_ I said mentally. _Just give her directions!_ Dad did just that, giving her very specific and easy-to-follow directions to get to the Cullen house. Lexi smiled wide, nodding as Dad gave her the directions. I glanced behind her to see her brother scowling at her back.

"Thanks, Edward" Lexi said. "I should be there in after dinner, if that's alright. My mom has this weird rule about how we _have_ to eat dinner together, no matter what". She laughed and rolled her eyes. Her brother had a slight smile playing on his face.

"That's fine" Dad said. "We'll go ahead and have our meal as well".

_Dad! _ I silently yelled. _I thought no one was supposed to make fun of being human and/or vampire? You just broke rule_ _2. _

"Of course, you are welcome to come over as well, Christopher" Dad suddenly offered. I felt my face contort into an unpleasant expression. It wasn't that I didn't like Christopher; I just had this feeling that he strongly disliked us.

"Thank you for the offer, but I have other plans which cannot be altered" Christopher replied, throwing another glare at his sister. " Lex, I need to get home. Are you going to drive me or do I have to hitchhike?"

Lexi sighed and rolled her eyes yet again. She smiled towards the rest of my family and turned to walk to her car.

"It'll most likely two hours or so" She informed. "Mom's dinners are very complex. Plus, I think I need to have a talk with my brother". She winked and sank down gracefully into the rich Italian leather seats. With a wave, she flashed out of the parking lot and was gone from sight, even ours, within seconds.

"He's an interesting person" Dad remarked, turning towards the rest of us with the eyebrow over his right eye raised. "His thoughts were very guarded".

"What do you mean, Edward?" Uncle Jasper asked.

"Well…" Dad began. "All I got from him was that he was unhappy about Lexi's level of comfort with us, as well as our comfort with her. He also began to think of something, but quickly changed his thoughts to the progression of the school day. It went from something involving the woods and a fast moving object to the intricacies of the First World War It was… odd".

"Hmm. It almost sounds as if he is hiding something, whether it is about him or about his sister," Uncle Jasper commented.

"Okay!" shouted Mom. "Enough! We are not going to stand here and analyze Alexis or her brother. Of all families, we should understand the best the importance of secrecy". Mom rarely chastised anyone, especially Dad. This was a bit out of character for her, but I could understand where it was coming from. I could tell that Mom really liked Lexi, so her random outburst was just the result.

"I apologize, my love" Dad replied, running his hands up and down Mom's arms. They gazed into each other's eyes for a moment. Finally, they simply smiled and turned towards the rest of us. "I suppose we should get home so we can prepare for tonight".

The family climbed into our vehicles and drove out of the parking lot at Forks High School. As I was gazing out the window of the Volvo, I caught a glimpse of a large brownish-red wolf running alongside the highway. Just having Jacob that close made me feel as if the night had hope. I rested my head against the back of the seat and began to mentally prepare myself for an interesting weekend.


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: Wow! I've been an updating machine this weekend! Yay! This chapter is kind of short, but the break worked the best, so…. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy it! P****lease Vet me know what you think! I like exclamation points! :D**

**Renesmee POV**

We arrived home to Carlisle and Esme waiting at the front door for us. Apparently, they had already been called by Aunt Alice. Once all of us were in the house, we sat down around our "dinning" table. Really all it was for was family meetings and a feeding trough for Jake.

"I'm happy that you finally asked her over, Nessie" My grandmother, Esme, exclaimed.

"I am happy as well" Carlisle, my grandfather, said. "When will she come over?"

"She said that she was going to eat dinner with her family and then come over in about two hours" I informed.

"Oh, how courteous" Esme commented.

"Yes, so we do not have to worry about feeding her" Dad remarked.

"What about breakfast?" Mom asked. "Humans need more than one meal per day, Edward". She rolled her eyes as she smirked, most likely remembering a time when Dad had failed to remember how human she was when they first met.

"I figure that we can prepare breakfast for her, but claim that everyone had already risen and ate. Nessie, it might be best if you eat breakfast with her so that she does not feel awkward. I know human food isn't your favorite, but I as if it is necessary" Esme explained, an apologetic look on her face.

"That's alright, Grandma" I replied. "I don't mind, as long as we can go hunting tomorrow afternoon".

"Nessie, we're going right now" Dad said.

"I know, but I'm going to need something to get the yucky taste out of my mouth!"

My family burst out into laughter as we all rose from the table and walked towards the front door. As a group, we ran off into the woods in search of anything we could come upon to make ourselves safer for my newest friend.

**Lexi's POV **

We arrived home, still not speaking to one another, verbally or mentally. I had figured that Chris would be full of words for me, especially after he had witnessed my interaction with the Cullens. Instead, I was surprised when he did not speak, nor think, about our conversation. We walked into the house and were hit with the delicious smells wafting in from the kitchen.

"Mom's home" Chris said, stating the obvious.

"Thanks. I had no idea who was in our kitchen cooking for us. Could've been anyone. How'd you know it was Mom?" I replied sarcastically, exhausted from the silence. Chris just threw me a 'look' and went off to his room. I travelled in to the kitchen.

"Hey, Mom" I called. My beautiful mother turned around, looking stunning as usual, and gave me a big smile.

"Hey, sweetie" She replied, taking off her apron and setting it on the counter. She held out her arms and walked towards me. I loved her hugs, mainly because they were always so comforting. "How was school today?" She asked, a smile playing on her face.

"Chris called you, didn't he?" I stated.

"Yes."

"Are you going to forbid me to go?"

"Now why would I do that?"

"Mom, we all know how much you…disapprove… of the Cullens and those like them" I explained, suspicious of my mother's random acceptance.

"Well, Lexi," My mother began. "First of all, you are an intelligent and mature person. You have certainly proven yourself over these past few years in terms of your ability to discern risky situations. I trust your judgment. Secondly, I want you to be happy. I know the life we live has been difficult on you as you've grown to desire other company besides your family."

I couldn't help but feel guilty as my mother confessed to me that she even remotely regretted bringing my brother and me into this life. It wasn't her fault that our family had been structured for this life, nor that we were the best of the best at what we do. It wasn't even that I regretted living my life and being with my family all the time. I hadn't even given a second thought about it until I'd met Renesmee and the Cullens.

"Mom, don't say that" I pleaded, leaning my head against her shoulder. "I love what we do as a family".

"I know, baby. I just also remember that, when I was your age…"

"You can remember back that far?"

"Oh ha, ha, ha. You're so funny". Mom grinned and lightly elbowed me in the ribs. "No. What I was _going_ to say was that I remember the desire to expand my friendships beyond my family. Yes, it's a risky thing that you're going to do tonight, but it's also very important. You should definitely go". With those words of affirmation, Mom turned around to finish making dinner.

_Congratu-freaking-lations, Sis._ I heard my brother think from all the way upstairs. I sighed and walked upstairs to his room and knocked on his bedroom door.

"What do you want?" I heard him call out.

"I want to talk with you" I replied. "Can I come in, please?" There was a long moment of silence before I heard him think _"Fine"._ I slowly opened the door and walked into his expansive, yet orderly, room. I looked at him for a moment and then went to sit next to him on his black leather couch.

"Chris, I need to know why you object to me befriending the Cullens so much", I told him. He stared at the floor, taking slow breaths. Finally, he looked up at me and I could see pain in his eyes. Not physical pain, but deep and emotionally scaring pain that never truly disappears. It is always present, even if the cause of the pain is reconciled. In the end, the memory is still there.

" Lex, it's not that I object to you befriending them" He began. "It's just that, well…"

"Well, what, Chris?' I questioned, frustrated.

"Why do you need to befriend them?"

I stared at him for the longest time, and then it dawned on me; the whole reason why Chris had suddenly become so hostile towards the Cullens and towards me; the reason for the pain behind those eyes.

"Oh, Chris", I exclaimed, throwing my arms around my baby brother's shoulders and pulling him into a tight hug. "You know that just because I make new friends and want to be around other people, it doesn't mean that I don't love you anymore. You're my brother, and we have been through Hell and back again more times than we can count. You're my partner in crime, my co-conspirator. I love you and always will, regardless of who I hang out with". I held my brother as he began to silently cry into my shoulder. We rocked back and forth until the sobs had quieted and he pulled his head away from my shoulder.

"Feel better?" I asked, grinning at his expression.

"If you ever mention this little episode, I'll hunt you down myself" He threatened, grinning as he stood up and left the room. I took a good look around his room, shaking my head at the unnaturalness of how tidy it was for a kid, and followed him downstairs for family dinner.


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: Sorry if this chapter kinda sucks. I wanted to write a chapter developing the relationship between Renesmee and Alexis, but it didn't work as well as I wanted to, I think. Sorry. I promise the next chapter will be a lot better. Feel free to comment, though. I absolutely love hearing from everyone! Thanks for sticking with me!**

**Renesmee POV**

It had been 2 hours exactly when we heard the sound of tires hitting the beginning of our long, gravel driveway. _Lexi's_ _almost here!_ I thought. I ran downstairs at vampire speed and grinned as I found the rest of my family waiting for me in the living room, a smile on every face. We had already planned out the evening, and planned out what to do in case there were any mishaps or slips. Everyone took their places in the living room. Uncle Emmett plopped down on Esme's beautiful white sofa, spreading himself out to take up the entire thing. Uncle Jasper, wanting to sit on the sofa as well, bombarded Uncle Em with the over welling desire to dance. It was something he couldn't ignore. Once Uncle Em began twirling and leaping across the living room floor, the rest of the family rushed to the sofa. It was one of those moments where you wish a camera existed that could capture vampire speed in real time.

" She's almost to the end of the drive, Nessie" Dad informed me. "Are you ready?" He winked at me as he threw his arm around Mom's shoulders.

"I'm pumped, Dad" I informed him, grinning as I heard tires come to a stop right outside the house. The rest of my family quietly rushed to the windows, barely pulling back the curtains to peer outside. I stayed where I was, not caring that much about seeing her Ferrari again when I heard Dad and Jake gasp collectively. I rolled my eyes and muttered "It's not like you've never seen a Ferrari before".

"She's not driving a Ferrari, Nessie" Aunt Rose explained, barely whispering. I walked over to the window, mentally running through what little I knew about cars. Aunt Rose and Dad (and Jake) were obsessed with automobiles. Jake drooled every time we got to ride in Mom's Ferrari or Dad's Aston Martin. I was never that impressed when it came to cars, so I wasn't prepared when I glanced out the window and saw Lexi climbing out of a beautiful and sleek looking two-toned black and silver sports car.

"It has a top speed of 253 miles per hour" I heard Dad state, his voice full of awe.

"It goes from 0 to 60 in, like, 2 seconds" Jake added, drooling just a little.

"It's amazing. I wonder what would happen if I got my hands on it and made some adjustments" Aunt Rose wondered.

"Rosalie, you can't change it. It's perfect" Dad explained, shaking his head. Aunt Rose turned around with a scowl on her face and stomped off to sit on the couch, pouting. Mom rolled her eyes as she pulled Dad away from the window. Uncle Emmett went to sit down next to his wife. I had to pull Jake away from the window as Lexi closed the trunk of her fast-looking car and began walking towards the front door. All was silent and still in the Cullen household as we listened to Lexi walk slowly up the front steps and pause just outside the front door. I glanced at each member of my crazy and mixed-up family, then proceeded to open the front door just as the doorbell rang.

"Hey, Nessie!" Lexi exclaimed, smiling.

"Hey, Lexi," I said, returning the smile. "I'm glad you found our house okay. Come on in". I stepped aside to give her plenty of space to enter the house. She crossed the threshold of the doorway, still continuing to smile exuberantly. She took a few steps into the house before she stopped, the smile gone from her face. I became concerned that she had seen something that troubled her. "Are you okay?" I asked, appearing at her side.

"Oh, yeah. It's just, well… your house is absolutely stunning!" She was swiveling her head all around, trying to get a glimpse of every aspect of the house. I grinned at my family as we entered the living room. Lexi finally noticed everyone sitting there and stepped forward to greet them. "Hi, everyone! It's nice to see you all again". She took notice of Carlisle and Esme standing off to the side. She appeared stunned for a moment at their good looks, especially since everyone claims that Grandpa looks like a movie star. She held out her hand as she introduced herself. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Cullen. I'm Alexis. You have a beautiful home".

Grandpa took her extended hand, saying "It's a great pleasure to meet you, Alexis. Please, call me Carlisle".

"Thank you, Carlisle. You can call me Lexi". She smiled sweetly as she exchanged Carlisle's hand for Esme's.

"And you can call me Esme, Lexi" Grandma explained. Lexi nodded and smiled widely at how accepting my grandparents, as well as my whole family, had been. There was a pause of silence, although it was not uncomfortable at all. It was amazing how naturally Lexi fit into our supernatural life.

_I wonder if Mom's experience with meeting the family was like this._ I wondered. I saw Dad quietly shake with laughter and whisper into Mom's ear, who shook her head in response and winked at me. "I'll show you where to put your bags, if you want" I offered.

"That would be great" Lexi replied, following me up the stairs. We stopped along the way so that she could admire the various works of art hanging on the walls. I explained how my family liked to collect works of art from rather unknown contemporary artists as well as the classics. Lexi seemed to comprehend everything I was saying, even though it was a lot of technical art vocabulary. We reached my "room", which really used to be Dad's room before he and Mom got married. Since I still had to sleep at night, thanks to the human side of my genetics, there was a queen sized four poster canopy bed pushed against one wall. On an adjoining wall, we had placed an off-white daybed, complete with fluffy pink and black pillows. On the opposite wall from both beds were a giant flat screen TV and a wall full of DVDs and pictures. A giant stereo sat against the wall where the door to the expansive adjoining bathroom was.

"Wow" Lexi commented as she threw her stuff on the daybed. "You're room is awesome!"

"Thanks!" I said. "So, what do you want to do first?"

"Well, I dunno. What does your family usually do on Friday nights?" She asked.

_Hunt down wild and dangerous animals, then race each other back to the house at supernatural speed. _" Watch movies".

"We can start there" She suggested. I nodded and led the way down the stairs and into the living room.

"Lexi! Nessie! I have a great idea for what we can do tonight!" Aunt Alice was literally bouncing up and down with excitement. I could tell it was difficult for Uncle Jasper to not join her. Instead he was just shaking his head and grinning.

"What do you want to do, Alice?" I heard Mom ask. There was a slight pause before Aunt Alice responded.

"GO SHOPPING!" I heard a collective groan rumble throughout the room as Mom, Aunt Rose, Grandma, Dad, and Uncle Jasper rolled their eyes.

"Alice, I'm pretty sure that every store and mall is closed by now" Mom explained, giggling under her breath.

"I already know that, Bella. I was talking about going shopping here". Everyone looked around in confusion (except Dad, of course).

"What do you mean, Alice?" I heard Aunt Rose ask.

Aunt Alice turned towards me and Lexi to ask "How would you two feel about a… fashion show?!!"

I turned to see Lexi laughing so much that she was having difficulty breathing and her eyes had begun to water. I quickly grinned at the rest of my family before responding to Aunt Alice. "That sounds fun, but…"

"Say no more, Nessie. Trust me, you guys are going to love it! Come on Bella and Rosalie. Esme, we could use you too." My pixy aunt began to herd all of the women towards the stairs. "Oh, Edward? No trying to figure out what we're doing!" She called as she went up the stairs.

"What did she mean by that?" Lexi asked.

"Oh, nothing. Edward just tends to be nosy all the time" I responded, winking at my father as I disappeared up the stairs.

**Lexi's POV **

From the first moment I stepped into the Cullen house, I felt as if I was at home. I have no idea if they even suspect that I am… not completely human… but if they do, they certainly don't show it. I already adore Renesmee's mother, Esme, and love how the rest of the family spends so much time together. It's not that my family doesn't gather together for quality time, it's just that most of our quality time is spent running through blackened woods and across barren desserts, not in a cozy living room in front of a wide-screen. I thought it was hilarious when the dark haired one (Alice, I think) suggested we go shopping. I gathered that Alice shopping never ended well for the rest of the family and, when we reached her enormous closet and she flung open the double French doors, I could see why. There were rows upon rows of brightly colored dresses, shiny and sophisticated tops, and every style of pants you could imagine. My favorite part of the extravagance was the entire back wall of the closet. From floor to ceiling, there existed beautiful chrome colored structure which held nothing but shoes. Every kind of shoe there was: spiky, hot pink stilettos; conservative, black ballet flats; practical and sporty tennis shoes; and, finally, there was a pair of electric blue knee-high boots that I instantly fell in love with. Every major designer was represented, and many whom I had never heard of before. All of Alice's clothes appeared to be tailor-cut, yet when Bella put them on, they appeared to be tailor fit to her too. I couldn't wait to get dressed up in these wonderful clothes, so I was a bit surprised when Alice led the way out of the closet.

"Alice, what are we doing?" I heard Nessie ask.

"We're not doing any basic, everyday fashion show. Oh no. We're going to make this interesting". I noticed that Bella and Nessie and the incredibly gorgeous blonde one began to look nervous. Esme, Nessie's mother, appeared to be concerned.

"Alice, what exactly did you have in mind?" Nessie asked skeptically.

"What if did a fashion show dressed up like the guys?" Alice suggested in a giggling tone.

"What?! That's fantastic!" Everyone yelled at the same time. We all burst out into a fit of laughter, taking a while to get our breathing under control. Everyone's laugh was so musical, bright tones echoing off of the walls.

"That's genius!" I yelled. "Let's do it!" Alice had us dressed up as one of the male Cullens in no time, including hair and makeup. I was dressed up as the big, bulky one named Emmett. I had to work on not tripping over the cuff of his pants as I walked down the stairs.

"Okay, everyone!" Alice yelled, although it was more of barely raising her voice. "Close your eyes! All of you!" We waited a few seconds, then walked down the stairs and stood in front of the living room. I suddenly became worried that maybe they wouldn't appreciate me making fun of them. Suddenly, I felt very confident in myself. "Everyone, open your eyes!" Alice said. Five pairs of eyes flew open in front of us.

"What the…" Emmett exclaimed, staring straight at me. _That's my cue_, I thought. I began to dance around just like Nessie had instructed me to do, trying my hardest not to die laughing. As I was acting like a complete idiot, the rest of the gang joined in and, soon, the entire house felt as if it were shaking with laughter just like the rest of us. _This is fantastic,_ I thought. _These people are great. _I saw Edward give Nessie a big hug across the room and whisper something in her ear. I couldn't hear what he said because Emmett had proceeded to scoop me up in a huge hug, bouncing me up and down. He's so childlike.

"Whoa! Look at the time", I heard Carlisle observe. "I think that we all need to go to bed, since I'm sure we would like Lexi to be allowed back to visit us again". He winked at me as he put his arm around his wife's shoulders. Nessie and I said goodnight to everyone and headed upstairs to her room.

"Nessie, your family is amazing" I informed her. "They're so funny!"

"Yeah, they're a real hoot, especially when they meddle in your business all the time". We looked at each other for a moment, then burst out into laughter again. That was how we spent majority of the night. We had serious discussions about ourselves, our families (as much as we could say to each other), and our lives. We laughed a lot throughout the entire night. I had never had so much fun before. I felt like a real human instead of… what I was.


	13. Chapter 13

**AN: Here's the next chapter. I like it a lot better than the last one, but whatcha gonna do? Thank you soooo much for all the reviews. They really inspire me to write more and to get chapters up quicker, so thanks for everyone's support. Oh, and I promise that the next chapter will be up quick and will be very action packed!**

**Lexi's **** POV:**

The next morning, I woke up to a dull grey sky outside the windows that made up majority of the walls in Nessie's bedroom. It actually took me a minute to realize where I was because the events of the previous day all felt like a dream. Nessie was no where in sight, so I just assumed that she had awoken earlier and was downstairs. I could faintly hear the sounds of Saturday morning cartoons wafting up the stairs from below, and could smell something being cooked in the kitchen. I briefly wondered why they were cooking breakfast until I realized it was probably for me. I secretly felt bad that they were going through all this trouble to appear "normal" just because of my presence. I sat up, having slept the best I ever had in my entire life, and got ready for the day. I was unsure when I would have to return home, although I knew that if I didn't get in contact with my brother, he would break down the front door to see where I was. I smiled at the thought of him confronting the entire Cullen family, then frowned when I realized that he would totally do something like that… and probably walk away unscathed. I sighed as I went into Nessie's gigantic bathroom to brush my teeth and comb my hair. I saw bathing products, such as shampoo and body wash, in the bathroom and wondered if they actually used them or if they were just for show. I heard someone downstairs mumble something about questions as I rinsed my mouth and repacked my things. I took a quick look in the mirror, and then headed downstairs.

"Good morning, sleepy head!" I heard as I finished descending the staircase. I looked around and saw Nessie standing in the doorway leading to the kitchen with a huge smile on her face. I smiled back sheepishly; embarrassed at the knowledge that I was probably the only one who actually slept last night.

"Good morning, everyone. Sorry if I kept you all waiting" I apologized, moving across the room.

"Not at all, Lexi" Esme commented, placing a plate on their enormous, conference-room style dining table. "We are early risers in this household, mainly because Emmett wakes everyone up because he is easily bored". She grinned at her bear of a son, who was pouting as he was cutting up strawberries. At least, I think he was pouting. It almost looked like a grimace. "Please" Esme continued. "Come eat some breakfast".

"Or, in your case, brunch" Bella commented, appearing seemingly out of nowhere.

"Thank you so much, but I really hope you didn't cook all of this just for me" I stated before realizing that what I just said might imply that they didn't eat like humans. I briefly saw Nessie exchange a troubled look with Edward before replying.

"Oh no" she said. "We all already ate. Esme just cooks too much food". I giggled, although I'm sure they could tell that it was a nervous sound more than anything, and sat down in front of the enormous spread of breakfast treats. Esme and the family had really outdone themselves. There were three different kinds of pancakes, including smiley-faced ones, as well as plenty of fresh fruit, different breakfast meats, and lots and lots of toast. I had a feeling that Emmett had been on toast duty, since he beamed when I grabbed a piece of it.

"Wow, this is all delicious" I complemented. "Especially the toast" I winked at Nessie, who proceeded to burst into laughter. I ate a hearty breakfast, realizing that this was the first time in awhile that I had had a true breakfast. Most of the time, I was out running around at this time of the morning and never had time for an actual breakfast. I decided that breakfast was my new favorite meal of the day. After I was finished eating, I helped to clear away the leftovers and insisted on helping to do the dishes. As I was washing plates in the sink, I heard Nessie's brother, Edward, ask me a question from the other room.

"Alexis, I have a question about your car" He called. I dried my hands on a dish towel and walked into the living room to find Edward, Jasper, and Rosalie standing at one of the large plate glass windows that made up the front wall of the house.

"What do you want to know about it?" I asked.

"Well…" All three looked at one another before Edward turned to me with a hesitant, yet excited, look on his face. "Is it really…"

"A Bugatti?" I finished, smiling to myself. "Yes, it's a special edition Pur Sang" (AN**: a link to a picture of the car is on my profile. It's a beautiful car, although I still prefer Ferraris**). I mentally laughed at the idea that I inadvertently drove a car named "Pure Blood" to a vampire household. "There were only five manufactured, although this particular one was the first off the line. Dad had it, um, altered a bit to fit our family's needs". I stared at Nessie's siblings for a bit then took the keys to the incredibly fast car out of my pocket. "Here" I said, throwing the keys at Edward. I didn't realize how fast I had thrown them until his hand had to flash up to catch them at faster-then-normal speed. Everyone in the room was silent for a moment until I laughed quietly. "Sorry. I play baseball a lot and I guess I throw a little too hard".

"It's fine" Edward reassured, but his eyes did not mirror the comfort in his voice. They had changed from the honey brown they usually were to a deep onyx black.

"Umm…" I stammered. "You're more than welcome to take a look at the car. You can even drive it around if you want."

"Thanks anyway" Edward said, throwing the keys back at a fast speed. Before I had a chance to think about it, my hand instinctively reacted and snatched the keys out of the air as if they had been traveling through thick molasses. I stared at them in my hand then slowly put them in my pocket. You could feel the tension and suspicion hanging in the air. I glanced up to see Edward staring across the room at Carlisle as someone cleared their throat.

"Do you want to take a walk and see the river?" Nessie asked me. I breathed a sigh of relief that someone had finally broken the awkward silence.

"Sure, I'd love to" I informed. Nessie guided me out the front door, throwing a look at the rest of her family. I simply walked down the stairs, embarrassed and slightly ashamed that I had let my guard down so much that they had noticed something … unusual… about me. If they discovered anything, it could endanger my whole family. Nessie joined me as we walked towards the sound of rushing water, putting her arm around my shoulders. We walked in silence, although it was much different from the silence in the house. It was a comfortable time: there was no pressure to speak. At this moment, Nessie felt like a true sister.

**Renesmee POV**

We were walking towards the river. There really wasn't anything special about it, except that it was out and away from the house. What had just transcribed when Lexi had offered to let Dad see her car had shocked my entire family. I was sure that none of them would do anything to my friend, but I felt the need to remove her before the feelings in the room escalated. I could feel that Lexi's shoulders were hunched over a bit, signifying that she had also acknowledged what had happened a few moments ago. I was trying to think of a way to save the morning when she suddenly pulled out from under my embrace and sat down on the ground next to the river's edge.

"Lexi, are you alright?" I asked as I sat down next to her on the damp ground. _Aunt Alice is going to kill me for getting mud on these jeans, _I randomly thought. Lexi sighed then turned to look at me with very sad eyes. It was the first time since meeting her that I felt as if she had let down a wall which blocked me from seeing the real her.

"Does your family think I'm a freak?" She asked, sadness showing itself heavily in the sound of her voice.

"Of course not!" I exclaimed, confused at why this would be her worry. "I would beat them up if they did". She smiled, but it was halfhearted and turned to rest her head on her knees. I stared out towards the river, letting the silence speak volumes to each of us. There was definitely something different about Lexi, although none of us had any clue what it was. Regardless, I knew that each member of my family adored her.

"Nessie?" I heard her ask me. I turned to see her staring at me. "How long has your family… been… together?"

I pondered her question for a bit, trying to decipher what the hidden meaning was. It was obvious that she wanted to ask it a bit more directly, but something held her back. "Well, I've been with them ever since I was born" I said with a smile. She smiled too, a bit more enthusiastic. "I'm not sure I understand what you mean by the question" I clarified.

"I guess I just meant that I wanted to know how long your brothers and sisters had been with Carlisle and Esme. They're all adopted, right?"

"Oh" I said, relieved that that was her meaning. I stared at her for a moment, still not entirely convinced that she had asked her true question. "Yes, everyone's adopted. I'm not sure exactly when everyone joined the family. I just know that Edward was their first ward, and Bella was the one previous to me. I was the only one adopted as a newborn". Lexi seemed satisfied at my answers and continued to stare out over the rushing water, her head still resting on her knees. I began playing with a piece of grass that I plucked from around my feet, thinking about how Uncle Emmett had tried to do that once and ended up creating a huge hole in the ground. Suddenly, Lexi sprang up from the ground, her entire body alert and tense.

"We should go back to the house" She stated, authority ringing in her voice. She seemed to be standing taller, straighter, with her arms slightly back behind her torso and her eyes squinting off towards the woods that were across the river.

"Why?" I asked, unable to curtail the curiosity. She slowly turned her eyes towards mine and I couldn't help but gasp. Her eyes, normally a beautiful deep green, were now a dark and ominous royal purple, with her pupils large and black as night.

"Because", she said, grabbing my arm and pulling me into a fast sprint. "We're in danger."


	14. Chapter 14

**AN: WARNING… there are a few curse words at the beginning of this chapter. I tried to use something e****lse, but it just didn't sound right. :D Also, sorry it's a bit long. I promise the next chapter will be up as soon as possible, but I hope you enjoy this chapter in the meantime. Thank you again so much to everyone who's reviewed! You inspire me!!**

**Lexi's POV**:

_Oh shit! Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit!!_ I gripped Nessie's arm tighter as we broke out into a full run, going faster than even she had probably ever gone by herself. We reached the Cullen house in no time, where the front door swung open and the entire family poured out, concerned looks on every face.

"Nessie, Lexi, what is going on?" Edward asked. I didn't answer him but instead went straight to my car. I unlocked it and was sitting in the driver's seat in less than half a second, no longer worrying about controlling my actions. I had gone into automatic, running as I did during my regular activities. I began typing feverishly on a keyboard that extended from the console on the dashboard that was connected to a GPS tracking system. Maps began to flash before my eyes at a very fast pace, a trail of red connecting each piece until the whole came together. I gasped and held my breath in horror as I realized that the monster my family had been tracking over the last 56 years had finally reached where we were, or more specifically… where I was.

"Chris!" I yelled into the phone as I jumped out of the car and walked around to the trunk of the Bugatti. "Get over here now! We have a problem. Tell Mom to alert Dad". I hung up, not waiting for his reply. He knew that there was only one reason why I would talk to him like that: _IT_ was here.

"Lexi, what is going on?" I heard Renesmee ask timidly. I couldn't look at her; couldn't explain it. Not yet. I continued to busy myself in the trunk, trying to hide myself from the Cullens until my brother arrived. I could already hear the tires of his car hit the beginning of their long and winding driveway. He would be here in 2 seconds. As he whipped around the last curve and jumped out before the car had come to a complete stop, I glanced up at Nessie and her family. I felt my eyes flash bright green and heard the accompanying gasp of shock and terror. I smiled to myself at the thought that, once, that gasp was what drove me to hunt: to do what I do.

"Lex, are you sure it's…" Chris couldn't even say what the monster was called. For so long, we refused to acknowledge what it was and what we were hunting. We never talked about it, because it meant that tragedy would follow in its footsteps.

"I'm positive" I told him, looking into his eyes for the first time. At that moment, sorrow and remorse hit me like a brick wall. My little brother, for the first time in my life, appeared scared and young. _Too young,_ I thought. _ He's too young to be here; too young to be a part of this. Why, oh why, did we have to do this?_ I placed my arms around my brother, but this hug was different. It wasn't meant to be comforting. It was meant to say goodbye. I slammed the trunk closed and turned to face the Cullens, holding in my hand what looked like a camera tripod, only there were many wires protruding from it. I walked to the front of the car, took a deep breath, and rammed the contraption deep into the ground at my feet. My brother came around and quickly connected each wire to a sister wire on a second contraption he had brought with him from home. He set his ominous black box on the ground next to mine and took a step back, shaking slightly. I felt bad that I couldn't tell if he was shaking from excitement or from terror. I sighed as I fiddled with the wires, then went and stood next to Christopher. We stared off into the forest for a minute, taking the time to process everything that was now taking place. Finally, I sighed and turned towards the Cullens. It was then that I saw the family as it really was: paired up. Carlisle was embracing his wife, Esme, with his long arms wrapped around her waist. Rosalie and Emmett were kissing one another passionately, not caring that there were outsiders witnessing this intimate moment. Alice and Jasper were staring into each other's eyes, holding on to one another's arms tightly. Bella and Edward had their arms wrapped around one another, as well as around Nessie. I realized then that those three were a family, distinct from the rest of the Cullens. Nessie was their daughter, not adopted sister. The façade had been broken, both by the Cullens and by me. We were being what we were designed to be, and, for once, it felt good.

**Christopher's POV**

I had jumped in the car as soon as I saw that it was Lexi calling. She had been looking forward to last night and today so much that I knew she wouldn't call unless something was seriously wrong. My theories were confirmed when she instructed me to have Mom "alert" Dad. We had no father, so "alerting" him was code for something else; something so evil and sinister that we had been chasing it for the past 50 years or so. I suddenly became both fearful and enraged that my sister, the monster's main target, was standing so close to it unprotected and alone. _Not alone,_ I thought, s_urrounded by other monsters. _I hated the Cullens, and not just because they monopolized my sister's mind now. They were abominations, mutants, unnatural. In fact, they were the reason why people like my sister and I existed, although I wouldn't call our lives much of an existence. I hated my skills, my talents, and my instincts. I hated being able to memorize, without effort, the lay of the land as if I were reading a map the first moment I stepped into a new area. I hated being able to read emotions radiating off of people. I hated being able to rip apart an indestructible creature of the night with my bare hands as if I were tearing apart melted butter. I hated having all this power, all this control, and all this responsibility. Years of chasing demons and hunting the hunters had turned me into a bitter and angry being. I resented those that I chased, especially when there was no just cause to destroy them. I easily recognized how wonderful the Cullens were. I do not deny that their different way of life from others of their kind does inspire a smidge of hope in the idea that it is not an inherent trait to feed on humans. However, I had witnessed far too many bloody deaths; too many screams of terror being cut short by the grip of teeth. Too many times had I arrived too late to save an innocent from the tortuous death that awaited them. The only worse part then arriving too late to stop their death was arriving too late to stop the change. Having to kill a new vampire was the worst part, mainly because they hadn't done anything to deserve their fate. They did not choose to become a monstrosity, nor did they have a chance to act different from the one that created them. All had to be destroyed. That was the law that we lived by, or at least I did. I could no longer tell about Lexi.

I arrived to see my sister bending over the trunk. _She brought the Bugatti, _I mentally observed. _Show off_. I stepped out of the car and immediately went to Lexi's side. As I was joining her, I saw her glance up at the Cullens and her eyes flashed. I froze for a brief second, prepared to jump in and stop her if she lost her cool and went after them. I was surprised when she took a deep breath and quickly looked back down at what her hands were doing.

_I can't look at them right now,_ she mentally explained.

_You don't have to,_ I told her, joining her at the back of the car. We worked silently but smoothly for a few seconds.

_Go get the box_ she told me. I walked over to the trunk of the most practical and non-flashy car we owned, a Mercedes S600 Sedan (**AN: Check out my profile for a link to the car**) in midnight blue. I pulled out a heavy black box and walked to where Lexi had placed her weapon in the ground already. We hooked everything up, praying that we wouldn't have to use it. I stepped back, afraid to get too close and accidently set it off. Lexi stared at me, but I didn't hear her say anything so I thought nothing of it. She joined me at my side, sliding her hand into mine for comfort. We both gazed far into the distance of the forest surrounding the Cullen house, watching the swaying of the trees grow closer and closer. Finally, I heard her sigh and turn towards her new friends. _Here we go,_ I thought.

**Renesmee POV:**

I stood there holding on to my parents, although none of us knew exactly why. While Lexi and her brother had been setting up their strange contraption, we all had heard Carlisle gasp and then stare at my father. Dad simply nodded his head briefly, and then pulled Mom and me into a tight hug. This hug scared me, because it wasn't the kind that reassured you that everything was okay. It was the type of hug that made you fear that you would never see a loved one again. As the rest of the family embraced one another, I looked up to see Lexi and Christopher staring at the nine of us, a strange expression on Lexi's face. It was almost a smirk, but more a smirk of surprise and discovery. I looked up at my father, my mother, and my beloved family, and then stepped forward towards our two guests.

"Lexi, Christopher, we demand to know what is going on" I stated in an authoritative voice. As an after thought, I added "please". Lexi sighed, glanced sideways at her brother (who nodded slightly), then stepped forward and began to speak.

"As I'm sure you have already determined, my brother and I are not human. In fact, we may be, technically, less human than you. We do not know the source of our origin, or even how our…type… began. We just know that our small family has been around since before the time of the Volturi". She paused here as the rest of the family allowed the surprise from her words to register on our faces. She smiled, and then continued. "Yes, we know of the Volturi. We know of every group of vampire rulers there ever has been. We remain in close contact with Aro, Caius, and Marcus, although our friendship has become strained of late". She paused for a breath. She gazed at each of us, apology blaring in her eyes. "I am sorry if this is overwhelming for everyone. I know how it can feel when your whole world, the little sphere of life that you have created for yourself, is destroyed in an instant. I know what it's like to find out that things exist in this world that frighten even the most frightening of monsters". Here, she winked at me and I understood. We were the monsters, and she was what frightened us. I glanced back at my family to see the truth in her words etched on every vampire's face. If our kind could cry, Rosalie and Esme would have been in tears already. Mom would have been well on her way.

"We do not hunt anything specifically" Christopher interjected, stepping forward and taking his sister's hand. She gave him a look of gratitude and allowed him to continue. "We just hunt what poses the biggest threat to life in general, whether that is an unruly coven of vampires, a wild pack of monstrous werewolves, troublesome witches, and even things which are not of this world".

"What do you mean… not of this world?" I heard Uncle Jasper ask, pulling Alice tighter against him.

"What I mean" Chris continued, "Is that gates have been opened from this world to others. Most of the time, nothing happens. We all know that the world in which humans live is the most fictional world of all. They believe in fairy tales and dreams that come true, but they fail to see reality that surrounds them everyday. They fail to notice that their picture-perfect world is saturated with mythical beings, some of which exist only for their destruction".

"What?" I asked, thoroughly confused. "How can there be something worse than, well, us? What we are?"

"Nessie" Alexis said, releasing her brother's hand and taking another careful and measured step towards me. My first instinct was to back away, but I refused to allow myself to become afraid. "Have you ever studied religion?" _What a strange question_, I thought. I turned towards my father for guidance, but he just shrugged his shoulders in response. This meant that he could not read the direction the conversation was going.

"I guess not directly, no" I offered, wishing I actually had. "All I know is what I have observed and heard about through various media, mainly movies and the news".

"Well, do you have an understanding of Hell?" She asked. I stared at her blankly for a moment, stunned at the course our day had taken. I heard Grandpa clear his throat behind me.

"Do you mean to tell us that whatever it is you are hunting resides normally in Hell?" He asked.

"In a sense" Lexi replied. "What your personal beliefs are is up to you. We just use it as a comparison, mainly because there is nothing else to compare the creature to. We call it a demon, simply just because of the literal definition. It is a spirit creature that causes destruction and turmoil wherever it goes. It feeds off of the lives of any creature in its path: humans, animals, and even those of the mythical world. Its main goal is to increase its holdings on this world."

"What do you mean by holdings?" I asked.

"For the past 59 years, we have been chasing this **thing** across continents and oceans, but have never managed to capture it. When it finds a place it desires, it uses what we call souls to "infect" the people with, well, evil".

"Evil? It infects creatures with 'evil'?" Carlisle asked. He glanced around at Jasper and Dad. "How does it infect beings with 'evil'?"

Lexi looked back at her brother, who nodded and took a confident step forward. "Imagine that you are incredibly thirsty. The thirstiest you have ever been in your entire existence. Now imagine that you walk outside and find that the air tastes as if it is saturated with blood. We know that your family is different, but that does not mean that you still do not find the scent of human blood enticing". He raised the eyebrow over his right eye as if to dare us to protest. Carlisle simply nodded in agreement and for Christopher to continue one. "Everywhere you turn, breath, think, you are surrounded by this tantalizing scent and desire for blood. You feel as if you HAVE to find its source. The scent drives you wild and makes you not yourself. You run off in search of the source, killing anything and everything in your path. You do not stop to feed, even though you may spill blood a thousand times over. You are saving your thirst, your appetite, for the source of the glorious scent. You spend days attempting to locate the source, running around and around in circles, the source always remaining just out of reach. You literally go insane until, one day, you stop. You just stop. You cease to exist. Your whole life essence, what makes you continue on, has been taken from you. You simply disappear and the scent moves on. The newspapers equate the massacre of the town to a strange and unidentifiable illness which causes people to quarantine the area. Bodies, homes, businesses, and parks are burned to the ground. The life you spent so long to build up has disappeared in a few days. You never even realize that you were the cause".

It was silent, the quietest I have ever heard our family. Even the surrounding forest was silent and still. For the longest time, no one spoke. Lexi and Christopher would occasionally glance off into the distant forest, but other than that, made no movements. They were giving us time to digest what they had just told us. We were being hunted, in a sense, by a creature that wanted to use us to destroy the town of Forks. I suddenly understood why Lexi was so concerned: nine strong and stealthy vampires on the loose in Forks, unable to contain themselves. The Quileutes would never stand a chance against all of us, regardless of how many there were now. We would massacre the town within two days, possibly not even leaving a trail of bodies. Who knew what we were capable of?

"What do we do?" I asked quietly, terrified of what the answer might be.

"Well, there's good news and bad news" Lexi replied with a strained voice. "The good news is that the creature is not headed here directly for you. Don't get me wrong, it will still affect you, but that only serves as an added bonus for it. No, what it's really after is me". I felt my mouth drop open as I processed what she had just said. _That thing was after her? But why?_

"Because, Nessie" She replied to my thoughts. "I'm the only one that can stop it".


	15. Chapter 15

**AN: I am so sorry for how long it has been since I've updated. It's been a crazy month or so (probably much longer than that, actually). I promise that the end is close and that it will come very soon. Thank you so much to everyone who has read my story and to everyone who has left me comments. I appreciate it more than you know!**

**Renesmee POV**

The silence lasted for what seemed like an eternity, which says a lot considering my family has an eternity to be silent. Lexi and her brother kept glancing off into the woods and then at each other. Occasionally, she would look me in the eye and an apologetic smile would spread across her face. It would disappear in half a second every time. I had no idea what to think about her revelation, nor did I have any idea what to do about. Do we run? Fight? Warn others? Is there anything we can do? Should do? I remembered back to when the Volturi had come to destroy me when I was just born because they did not understand what I was. What if this was similar and, even more frightening, what if it wasn't? What if all Lexi has told us is true and that my family was about to become a group of vampires that would make even a coven of newborns appear tame? I glanced over at Dad and Mom, knowing that I either appeared frightened or close to hysterics. They were standing facing one another with their arms wrapped around the other's body so tightly that they appeared to be one person. Aunt Rose and Uncle Emmett stood just to the left of my parents, but back a little bit. They, too, were embracing one another tightly, although they added some heavy kissing. Aunt Alice and Uncle Jasper stood back even further behind my parents, hugging just as the other couples were. Aunt Alice had her head resting on Jasper's chest, and I sensed that she would be silently weeping if she were able. Grandma and Grandpa were hugging one another as well and gently swaying side to side. If an outsider happened upon this scene by accident just now, they might assume that someone from the family had died. That was exactly how we all felt. Someone, or rather everyone, had died… will die. We all knew that we would rather ourselves to be destroyed than to destroy the innocent humans of this town. I had grown up in a family where there was always a solution to a problem. For the first time in my life, I felt completely hopeless.

"It'll be alright" I heard Lexi whisper. I turned towards where she and her brother were standing to find that her brother was standing alone. For the first time, he looked directly at me and I noticed how aged his face appeared, although he couldn't be physically that much older than 16. I felt Lexi's arm wrap around my shoulders and, as if I were hugging one of my family members, I turned into her hug. She wrapped both her arms around me, squeezing me with more force than I expected, although it didn't hurt. I could sense the rest of my family exiting their embraces to observe my friend and I comforting one another, although Lexi doing most of the comforting.

"What did you mean?" Uncle Jasper asked as he and Aunt Alice stepped forward a bit. Lexi broke our hug and pulled away a bit from me. She turned slowly to face Uncle Jasper. "When you said that it was coming for you," He clarified. "What did you mean?"

"It's difficult to convey into ways in which you could comprehend" Christopher replied, stepping forward a bit. "It goes beyond natural laws of the human world or, in a twisted sort of way, your world as well. Lexi is, in a way, one of these creatures. Every one of these things begins as one of us. Lexi is how she is now, instead of out there causing mayhem and destruction and death, because only one exists at one time. The only time another is born is so that they can replace the one they kill. In short, in order for the creature to be destroyed, Lexi must take its place as what it is".

"Which I will never actually do" Lexi interjected, rejoining her brother's side. He glanced over at her with a deep and soul breaking sadness burned into his deep blue eyes. He had already begun to grieve her death.

"What do you mean by that?" Uncle Jasper asked.

"I will kill the creature and then, before I completely become the beast" she took a long and deep breath, finally glancing up from staring at the ground "my brother will dispose of me". The long and thick silence returned. We all stared at the two strange heroes that stood before us, completely unable to process quickly these details.

"You mean he has to kill you?" I asked in a tiny voice, meeting Lexi's tear-filled eyes.

"Yes" she responded quietly, holding my gaze with her own. She simply stood there, until I realized that her eyes had glazed over. My gaze shifted quickly from staring at Lexi to staring at Christopher. Her brother reached over to his sister's face and put his hand over her eyes. A few seconds later, Lexi melted into Christopher's arms. He held her in his arms until she finally came around and simply said "It's time". He nodded and set her back onto her feet. She wobbled a bit, appearing as if she were about to fall forward. I prepared to run to catch her, but she suddenly straightened up as if called to attention by a superior officer in a military regimen. Her eyes remained closed.

"Is there something we can do to help?" My father asked Christopher.

"Not really," he replied, "Except to stay out of the way. The creature's main goal is to get to Lexi" He swallowed hard as he finished his sentence, turning his gaze back to his sister, who continued to stand at attention with her eyes closed. She appeared to not be breathing, but then it was possible she did not need to.

"Is she… alright?" Grandma Esme asked, taking a step towards my friend with her arm outstretched. I saw Grandpa place a gentle but firm hand on her arm to pull her back.

"I'm not really sure. I assume she is, but since this is the first time the creature has gotten this close, I'm at a loss as to what will happen". He then did something unexpected, especially since it had been very evident from their arrival in Forks at the beginning of the school year that he detested my entire family. He spoke directly to us as a friend. "I am so sorry" He told us, letting his eyes drop from looking at each of us in the eye to staring at the dirt floor of our front yard. "I am so, so sorry. I am sorry for the way I have behaved towards your family. I am sorry for what my kind has done to you in the past, and I am mostly sorry for bringing this burden into your lives". A drop of moisture, presumably a tear, fell to the ground, causing a small dust cloud to rise and a tiny spot of mud to appear. This single representation of Christopher's true remorse at having affected our lives in such a grand way caused his sister to snap out of whatever trance she had been in. Without words, she walked to where her brother stood and embraced him tightly. This hug, which was soundless but displayed their true sibling love for one another, ended after sometime with Christopher placing a small kiss on Lexi's cheek. We all understood what this kiss was: a brother's goodbye.

"Keep away from where I meet up with it until you sense it is gone. After that…" Lexi instructed, "Be swift and be strong, little brother. When you find me again, I will no longer be your sister". She continued to hold his hand in hers, but turned towards the rest of us. "As my brother has already said, I am deeply sorry for bringing this horror here. Through the short time I have been blessed to spend with you Cullens, I have witnessed nothing but kindness, generosity, and extreme understanding. You deserve much more than I can give you. Thank you going against your better instincts and allowing Renesmee and I to be friends". She closed her eyes and took a deep, swelling breath. We could visibly see her chest expand as her lungs filled to the brim with air. The entire forest around us seemed to be shaking, whether it was with excitement or fear, I could not tell. She released the air within her lungs silently and then turned towards her brother one more time. "Do not follow me. Do not leave this place until you sense it is gone. Once you are done with your task, go home, pack up, and leave. Do you hear me, Christopher?" Lexi asked sternly, grabbing his chin with her hand and pulling his head in order to see his eyes. "Leave". She kissed his forehead, squeezed his hand, and then dropped both his gaze and his hold at the same time. She took a step back, locking eyes with me as she did so. She smiled, then winked, then turned and was gone, leaving only a wisp of dust and rock behind. We could almost see her path through the trees as she ran towards her death.

**Lexi's POV**

I ran as fast as I could carry myself, leaping over fallen trees, a river, boulders, and anything else that lay in my path. I knew that if I stopped for even a second to think about the task that was before me, I would turn back. Leaving everyone behind had been a difficult thing to do, although asking Christopher to dispose of me before I turned completely was even worse. I always asked so much of my younger brother, although I now know how capable and strong he is. "He'll make it" I told myself as I picked up my pace. Leaves and branches whipped at my face and arms, although I barely noticed the slight added pressure. I could feel the air growing colder as I began to get closer to the monster. I even began to be able to taste it. It was a bitter and sour taste accompanied with a sweet and savory scent. _The scent lures you in, but the taste kills you_, I thought. I began to see flashes off to my right through the trees as I ran. I picked up my pace even more, determined now to fulfill my reason for existence. I would be the end of the line. I had to be.


	16. Chapter 16

**AN: Here's the next chapter. As always, reviews are appreciated!**

**Lexi POV**

I burst through the end of the trees and into a large meadow that stood in the middle of the forest. I could see where trees had been purposely uprooted to create more space. The wildflowers and grass had been trampled down into the soggy ground, causing the entire area to be shrouded in a hazy and damp grey color. It was as if all color in general had been sucked out from the area. The trees appeared monotone with grey trunks and light grey leaves. The sky appeared to be completely blocked by a surreal mist that only hung over the opening of the tree line, but not on the ground. The only smell that existed in this place was the creature's smell. It began to remind me of a certain type of cookie my mother had once made before I had reached the age of knowledge, when I learned about my secret fate. These cookies had been filled with more than flour and eggs. They had been filled with passion and power and love. I had always thought that she just added something extra to the batter, like a weird spice or different type of flavoring. Only in this moment could I truly understand that those cookies were more than just baked goods. They represented the love my mother had for my brother and me, as well as the hope for our futures and my ability to make those futures happen. I suddenly felt a strong desire for these cookies. I _**needed**_ them and what they represented. _I will do anything, _I thought, _for those cookies. _

"Anything?" I heard a sinister and deep voice ask from across the clearing. The air within the area surged with more of the pungent and powerful scent of my mother's special treats. "Anything is a very vague term, my dear. Perhaps you could clarify for me?" The voice asked.

"Anything means exactly that" I replied, annoyed that whomever this voice belonged to was preventing me from searching for the cookies. I found myself growing angry and frustrated.

"Would you give up your mother?" The voice asked with a slight chuckle.

"Yes" I quickly replied.

"Your brother?" It asked again.

"Yes"

"Your friends?" It laughed quietly as I heard something slide towards me a few feet from across the clearing.

"They mean nothing" I informed the voice, squaring my shoulders.

"Oh, but they do mean something. To you, anyway. Why would you be here, Lexi, if you're friends, your family, your existence meant nothing?" The source of the voice finally slid into full view. The creature was indescribable. It was sometimes a solid figure and sometimes no more than a cloud of smoke. It changed from being solid black to disappearing altogether. It was at least 10 feet at its highest and 4 feet at is lowest. It was mostly about 2 feet across, although it tended to contract itself inward frequently. I could feel the power of its words and its scent affecting me. My mind was growing hazy by the second, my throat feeling as if it was beginning to burn from the thickness of the air. There was no wind in the clearing, no way to rid myself of the intoxicating scent that was driving me to believe the vile words coming out of the monster in front of me.

"I know what you are" I challenged, "And I will not allow you to control me. You will be stopped and this will end. Today".

The creature stopped moving and twisted around itself until it appeared in a human figure. It was still black, like the color of deep space where no amount of light can ever be found. It was the color of death, sadness, and destruction. It was as if a bright light had been placed directly behind the creature and had completely silhouetted out every detail possible. Even the edges of the figure now walking towards me were blurred, not sharp and defined. I could barely make out that the creature now walked on two legs.

"Of course you know me" it growled, its voice low and deep. "You know me, Alexis, because you are me. Or, at least, you have the ability to become me".

"I have that ability, yes" I answered "but I will never become what you are."

"And what am I?" it asked, anger threading its way into his tone.

"You" I replied, using what strength I had to put as much force and power into my words, "are a monster." I felt the air quiver around me at the same time that I felt the ground shake underneath my feet. The creature had taken a step forward and had shifted its appearance once again.

"I" it replied, "Am more than a monster. I am a man". As it spoke these words, a small ray of light broke through the heavy-hanging mist and illuminated a spot in between the distance between myself and the monster, which was not that far. I stared at the spot of light, completely thrown as to why it had suddenly appeared when the creature stepped into the bright spot. I gasped and took an involuntary step backwards, inadvertently allowing my carefully constructed façade of control to break.

"What?" I simply muttered, unable to form a sentence out of shock.

"Are you not pleased to see me, daughter?" The human figure asked, its arms spread wide open with its palms facing upward. I could still smell my mother's cookies in the air, although the scent had grown less pungent. I paid little attention to the way the air felt or smelled at this moment, though. I was currently staring into a face which my entire family had believed to have been lost many decades ago. How many times had I stared at pictures of my father, wishing I could have known him when he had been alive? How many nights did I silently ask and beg for time to be reversed and my father to return?

"You… are… you… are…" I stammered, taking a few more steps in retreat. No matter the number of steps I took, however, the man before me maintained the same amount of distance between us. It was as if we were dancing. I swallowed hard, feeling my throat burn just a bit. That burn, however, was enough to bring me back to reality. I was vaguely aware of the sound of multiple pairs of feet running towards the clearing. "You are NOT my father!" I yelled. "You are nothing but an evil and vile creature that does nothing but destroy lives of others. You have no heart, no mind, and no soul. You steal life from everything around you, and leave a path of destruction and death in your wake. I will not be fooled by your many tricks, monster!" I began to hyperventilate due to having been holding my breath for some time and then suddenly using up all of my air supply in a matter of seconds. The man before me faltered in his steps, allowing me to increase the distance between us slightly.

"You believe me to be false?" He, or It, asked.

"I know it" I replied.

"You know nothing, Alexis. You believe me to be vile and unworthy of mercy. What makes you and your brother so different from me? You go around killing other… beings. Is that not just as bad as what I do?"

"It's not the same" I mumbled, my reserve breaking slightly under his fierce gaze.

After a short moment of silence, the creature burst out into a sinister laugh, stepping forward two more steps. He, or It, or whatever, was now close enough to me to reach out his hand and grab me in one quick, fluid movement.

"Of course not" He placated, reaching out to stroke my face with one long, bony finger. As he touched my skin, I felt a shiver run down my spine and goose bumps raise up on every skin surface on my body. My adrenaline kicked in and I could feel every muscle tense up as my instincts prepared my body to fight… or to run away.

"Have you ever thought that, perhaps, I am the way life is supposed to go and someone else is preventing nature from taking its course?" He asked, dropping his hand to his side and staring straight into my eyes. "It's a plausible theory, you know", he continued. "You believe that I am unnatural and evil and am ruining the natural flow of life in this world, however mystical it may seem. I believe, as do many others who act with me, that we are not unnatural, but oddities of the natural world. Those who change what they are, such as your little vampire family that you've become the pet of, are what are unnatural. You, and your brother… you're unnatural. You are fighting against what must be!"

He was becoming more and more agitated, beginning to pace back and forth in front of me, his shape occasionally blurring but then coming back into the shape of a human man. His voice had grown louder and deeper, and his eyes had begun to glow a deep red, as if they were neon lights.

"You're wrong" I simply stated quietly. Suddenly, the creature was directly in front of me, his hand grabbing my chin and forcing me to look at him. He glared into my eyes with a look of disgust and anger that frightened me like never before.

"NO! YOU'RE WRONG!" He yelled, slightly shaking my head with his hand. "YOU'RE ALL WRONG! WE ARE NOT THE EVIL ONES! WE DO NOT DENY WHAT WE ARE! WE DO NOT GO AGAINST NATURE! WE WERE MADE LIKE THIS AND WE SHALL LIVE AS WE ARE MEANT TO! IF YOU CANNOT ACCEPT WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN DESIGNED TO BE, THEN YOU DO NOT DESERVE LIFE!"

He thrust my head away from him as he took a few steps back. His shape was completely blurred by now. He had the stature of a man, but his features were unidentifiable and he appeared to have grown taller and wider. I could feel the air physically change around me. The ray of light which had appeared at the beginning of the creature's revelation was sucked back up into the thick mist, the sweet and savory scent that had hypnotized me from the beginning disappeared all together. Now all I could smell and taste in the air was fear, which I believed to be coming from me, and what can only be described as the scent of death.

_This is it_, I thought to myself as I backed away from the creature a few more steps. Suddenly, I heard the sound of thick underbrush being disturbed by something whisking by it at a fast pace and the sound of feet pounding the ground as something ran towards the clearing. I was not the only one to hear it.


End file.
